Tiger Woods built the longest reign golf has known. He spent 683 weeks at world No.1, more than any player before or since. His run of 281 straight weeks at the top is the sport's longest.
A five-year streak ended by ranking maths
The streak closed on 30 October 2010, and no shot of Woods's decided it. Lee Westwood of England took the top ranking that weekend, the first European there in 16 years.
The changeover came from arithmetic, not a duel. Westwood knew he would rise as long as Martin Kaymer did not finish in the top two at the Andalucia Masters. Kaymer tied for 21st at Valderrama, and the number moved.
The reign had begun the week before the 2005 U.S. Open, where Woods was runner-up. He won the Open Championship a month later, then held the top through his worst season on and off the course.
Twice the tally of the next-best golfer
The scale is still hard to match. Woods reached No.1 on 11 separate occasions, and his 683 weeks are more than double Greg Norman's 331. He also owns the second-longest streak in history, at 264 weeks.
"You just keep playing," Woods said that August, as his hold on the top grew tenuous. "Winning golf tournaments takes care of a lot of things, and being No. 1 is one of them."
He would return to No.1 in later years, long after the Grand Slam and five green jackets. The record he set at the summit still stands alone.
