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For 18 years the name Tiger Woods has been synonymous with golf’s elite. For 18 years the name Woods has been listed somewhere near the top of the 100 best golfers in the world. And now, for the first time in 18 years, Woods’ name won’t be there.
According to Reuters, Woods in now ranked 104th. The 39-year-old was ranked 96th before the Houston Open, taking place this week, in which he isn’t playing. His ranking is likely to go down further after the tournament.
Reuters notes, “Woods was ranked 433rd when he turned professional in September 1996. He then jumped to 75th after landing his first victory as a professional at the 1996 Las Vegas Invitational, the first of 79 PGA Tour titles.”
Woods moved into the No. 1 slot in 1997 after finishing 19th at the U.S. Open. Reuters notes that the 14-time major winner held the spot for a “record total of 683 weeks” before losing it to Australia’s Adam Scott in May 2014.
According to Reuters, “Woods is yet to make a decision on whether he will play at the Masters, which begins on April 9.”
Read more at Reuters.