Who is number 1 in the PGA Tour?

6 min readOct 12, 2023

The PGA Tour is the premier men’s professional golf tour in the world. It consists of a series of tournaments held across the United States and in some other countries. The player who earns the most FedEx Cup points over the course of the PGA Tour season is ranked number

Current Number 1 — Scottie Scheffler

As of October 2022, the current number 1 player in the PGA Tour rankings is Scottie Scheffler. Scheffler has had a breakout year in 2022, winning 4 tournaments including the Masters. This has propelled him to the top of the rankings.

Some key facts about Scottie Scheffler:

Age: 26 years old
Turned pro: 2018
World Ranking: 1
2022 wins: Masters, WGC Match Play, Arnold Palmer Invitational, WM Phoenix Open
Career PGA Tour wins: 4
Earnings in 2022: $14,046,910 (leads PGA Tour)
FedEx Cup points in 2022: 3,680 (leads PGA Tour)

Scheffler earned his number 1 ranking thanks to consistently high finishes in big tournaments in 2022. His first PGA Tour win came in February 2022 at the WM Phoenix Open. Just a few weeks later, he won the Arnold Palmer Invitational, considered one of the biggest non-major tournaments. In March, Scheffler then went on an incredible run, winning the WGC Match Play event and then the Masters in April, his first major championship.

With his Masters win along with 3 other victories and several other top 10 finishes, Scheffler took over the number 1 world ranking in April 2022 from Jon Rahm. He has held on to that ranking consistently with high finishes in tournaments since then. Barring a major drop-off in form, Scheffler is poised to end 2022 as the undisputed number 1 player in professional golf.

Top Contenders

While Scheffler is firmly number 1 right now, there are several contenders looking to overtake him both in the rankings and win the FedEx Cup. Here are some top players gunning for the number 1 spot:

Rory McIlroy

World Ranking: 2
2022 wins: 1 (FedEx St. Jude Championship)
Career PGA Tour wins: 23
FedEx Cup Champion: 2016, 2019

Former number 1 McIlroy returned to elite form in 2022, winning the Tour Championship to clinch the FedEx Cup. He will look to carry that momentum into 2023 and reclaim the number 1 ranking he has held for over 100 weeks in his career. McIlroy has the game and experience to go on a run and take over the top spot.

Patrick Cantlay

World Ranking: 3
2022 wins: 2 (Zozo Championship, BMW Championship)
Career PGA Tour wins: 7
FedEx Cup Champion: 2021

The defending FedEx Cup champion, Cantlay won twice in 2022 and had several other close finishes. He was number 1 in the world for a brief period in early 2022 and will expect to contend for every tournament he plays in. Cantlay’s consistency makes him a threat for the number 1 ranking.

Jon Rahm

World Ranking: 5
2022 wins: 3 (Mexico Open, Genesis Invitational, Spanish Open)
Career PGA Tour wins: 9

Rahm held the number 1 ranking from July 2021 until March 2022 when he was overtaken by Scheffler. The Spaniard is one of the biggest talents in the game and has the firepower to go low. He will be eager to reclaim the top spot he lost this year.

Justin Thomas

World Ranking: 8
2022 wins: 2 (PGA Championship, CJ Cup)
Career PGA Tour wins: 15
Major wins: 2

Thomas is a proven champion with 2 major titles already. He returned to winning ways in 2022, picking up the PGA Championship among other victories. Thomas has been number 1 before and will be a threat to get back there if he can maintain consistency.

Jordan Spieth

World Ranking: 13
2022 wins: 1 (RBC Heritage)
Career PGA Tour wins: 17
Major wins: 3

Spieth is a 3-time major champion who has shown he can get hot and win multiple tournaments in a season. Now outside the top 10, Spieth will be motivated to get back to the summit of the sport. If he can rediscover his best form, he has the game to contend for number 1.

How the Number 1 Ranking Works

The number 1 player in the PGA Tour rankings is determined by the following:

Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) — This ranking system tracks player performance worldwide across the major tours and championships. It is weighted to favor more recent results and higher tournaments. If a player gets to number 1 in the OWGR they will be considered the top player in professional golf.

FedEx Cup points — This tracks player performance across the PGA Tour season events. Whoever has the most FedEx Cup points at the end of the season is considered the PGA Tour champion for that season. They may not align directly with the OWGR.

Winning major championships and other big events is key for players to gain the ranking points needed to reach number 1. Consistently high finishes across a season is also important to build a points lead. There is often movement and jostling for position, with players trading the number 1 spot. Remaining injury-free and in-form is crucial for any player hoping to hold the ranking long-term and cement their legacy.

Recent Number 1 Players

Here is a look at recent golfers who have held the number 1 world ranking:

Brooks Koepka — Held the number 1 ranking from October 2018 to May 2019. Won the U.S. Open and PGA Championship during this stint.

Dustin Johnson — World number 1 for a total of 135 weeks between 2017–2021. Won the 2020 Masters while ranked number 1.

Justin Rose — Rose reached number 1 in September 2018 after a hot streak of tournament wins. He held the top spot for just 2 weeks.

Justin Thomas — Spent 4 weeks as world number 1 from May to June 2018 after winning his first major at the 2017 PGA Championship.

Jordan Spieth — Spieth occupied the number 1 ranking for a total of 26 weeks between 2015–2016 during his dominant run of major wins and top finishes.

Rory McIlroy — McIlroy has spent over 100 weeks as the number 1 player at various times since 2012. He was last number 1 in January 2020.

Tiger Woods — Woods holds the record for most time spent at number 1 in professional golf with 683 weeks. He has been number 1 for a record 281 consecutive weeks between 2005–2010.

Number 1 Milestones

Some notable milestones for the world number 1 golf ranking:

Tiger Woods holds the record with 683 total weeks at number 1.
Greg Norman is next with 331 weeks at number 1
Dustin Johnson spent 135 consecutive weeks at number 1 from 2017–2021, the 2nd longest streak behind Woods.
Rory McIlroy was the youngest player ever to be ranked number 1, achieving it at age 22.
Lee Westwood at age 40 was the oldest player to reach number 1 for the first time.
Bernhard Langer spent a record 528 consecutive weeks in the top 10 of the rankings without ever reaching number 1.
Justin Rose spent just 2 weeks at number 1, one of the briefest stints ever at the top spot.
Only 10 golfers have ever held the number 1 spot — Woods, Norman, Johnson, McIlroy, Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros, Jason Day, Spieth, Rose, and Rahm.

Reaching and maintaining the number 1 world ranking in professional golf is an incredible accomplishment. It requires prolonged success against elite competition across the sport’s biggest events. The battle for supremacy on the PGA Tour continues with several contenders looking to unseat Scottie Scheffler from the top position in 2023.

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