It’s a milestone you probably didn’t know was coming—this week marks the 2,000th edition of the Official World Golf Ranking. On April 6, 1986—seven days prior, coincidentally, to Jack Nicklaus’ historic sixth Masters triumph—the then Sony Ranking circulated throughout the golf world, listing the top 100 male professional golfers based on a brand-new ranking system.

Over the next 38-plus years, the OWGR has endured some highs and some lows, including recent criticism from some about not including LIV Golf events in the calculations.

Regardless, this week offers a unique moment to take a deep dive into its history and some of the more interesting events that have occurred the past 2,000 weeks.

Week 1

Bernhard Langer holds the honor of being the first “official” World No. 1 golfer. When the OWGR debuted, the German topped the list, ahead of fellow Europeans Seve Ballesteros and Sandy Lyle. In days after the ranking release, Langer returned to Augusta National to attempt to defend the first of his eventual two Masters titles. But that week belonged to Nicklaus. The Golden Bear, then 46, was 33rd in the initial ranking before going on to win his 18th major title in dramatic fashion.

The No. 1 Club

Just 25 golfers have reached World No. 1. From Langer to Scottie Scheffler, 10 different nationalities have reached the summit of the professional game, with the U.S. leading the way with nine different players at the top.

Here’s the complete list:Bernhard LangerSeve BallesterosGreg NormanNick FaldoIan WoosnamFred CouplesNick PriceTom LehmanTiger WoodsErnie ElsDavid DuvalVijay SinghLee WestwoodMartin KaymerLuke DonaldRory McIlroyAdam ScottJordan SpiethJason DayDustin JohnsonJustin ThomasJustin RoseBrooks KoepkaJon RahmScottie Scheffler

The Top 10

In the 38 years since that first ranking was published, 120 golfers have found themselves in the top 10. While Thomas Bjorn will forever remember the week of July 15, 2001, as the first, last and only week he reached the top 10, Tiger Woods leads all players for weeks spent in the top 10 at 908. South Africa’s Ernie Els is next on that list with 788 weeks.

Steve Grayson

Hello, Tiger!

On June 15, 1997, just two months after winning the Masters by 12 shots, Woods topped the OWGR for the first time. Interestingly, he would be bumped by Ernie Els a week later but soon returned. Today, Woods leads all golfers in weeks spent at World No. 1 at a staggering 683 weeks (more than 13 years).

A Year On Top

Of the 25 players who have reached the summit of the OWGR, only three have held the No. 1 position for an entire calendar year. Sir Nick Faldo was the first in 1993, followed by his rival Greg Norman three years later. Of course, Woods completed the feat … eight times (2000 to 2003, then 2006 to 2009). It should be noted that Scottie Scheffler will join the group once this year is over.

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Tiger dominated the OWGR throughout much of his career, but never more so than in the 2000s. Of the 520 weeks in the decade, Tiger was World No. 1 for 488 of them (94 percent). Vijay Singh was the only golfer to dethrone Woods throughout the decade. Tiger’s largest lead in the OWGR came on May 20, 2001, a month after completing the “Tiger Slam.” His points average of 32.33 was nearly three times that of his nearest competitor, Phil Mickelson.

A Non-Major Achievement

There have been 155 major championships contested in the OWGR-era. The majority of them (81) have been won by players outside the top 10 in the OWGR. Only 17 have been won by a player occupying the No. 1 spot. While the 25 players to reach No. 1 have won 68 majors collectively, only two have reached the top of the rankings and never won a major. They are Lee Westwood and Luke Donald.

One and Done

You probably didn’t realize that “Tom Lehman Week” is a thing. OK, maybe it’s not, but we like to celebrate it every year on April 20. It was during that week in 1997 that Tom Lehman reached World No. 1—the only week he spent there. He remains the one player to be World No. 1 for a single week in his career.

The Best of The Rest

Phil Mickelson has been a fixture in the OWGR since the first week he turned pro in 1992. He has spent more weeks (865) inside the top 20 than any golfer, including Tiger. However, he famously never reached World No. 1. Incredibly, he spent 270 weeks ranked No. 2, by far the most of any player never to reach No. 1 (Jim Furyk, 39).

No. 1 at 41

Vijay Singh holds the distinction of being the oldest golfer ever ranked No. 1. The last week he spent atop the rankings was in June 2005, when he was 41.

Young and Old

In the space of two years, the OWGR saw its youngest and oldest players ever to feature in the top 10. Japan’s Jumbo Ozaki was 51 when he ranked 10th in April 1998, and Sergio Garcia first reached the top 10 in January 2000, just one week after turning 20.

No. 1 Twice In A Week

Mike Ehrmann

In February 2012, Rory McIlroy finished first at the Honda Classic to become World No. 1 for the first time. The Northern Irishman hasn’t dropped out of the top 20 since, a span of 662 weeks. Only Tiger Woods (11) and Greg Norman (11) have reached No. 1 more times than the nine occasions McIlroy has.

Scheffler’s Challenge

Mike Ehrmann

As for the best player in the world right now, it’s clear that it is Scottie Scheffler. The reigning Masters and Players champion has held the top spot of the OWGR for 75 consecutive weeks (and counting) dating back to May 2023. However, to overtake Tiger for the most weeks at World No. 1, he would need to remain at number from now until … Oct. 16, 2035!

This week marks the 2000th week of the Official World Golf Rankings.

So here’s a thread of the most interesting stats and weeks in OWGR history 🧵 pic.twitter.com/SE2BvJOPHY

— Jamie Kennedy (@jamierkennedy) October 22, 2024

This article was originally published on golfdigest.com