Tag: World No. 1

Five things to know about the LPGA’s new No. 1, a player known as ‘Jeeno’

“I’m just trying to improve myself and be myself every day.”

Atthaya Thitikul will tee it up as the No. 1 player in the world for the first time this week at the Toto Japan Classic. The 19-year-old joins Lydia Ko as the only teenagers to reach No. 1. Thitikul, who goes by the nickname “Jeeno,” is also the second rookie in history to become No. 1, along with South Korea’s Sung Hyun Park.

“I hadn’t thought that I would be No. 1 in the world that fast,” said Thitikul during a pre-tournament press conference in Japan. “And I didn’t think I would achieve this in my first year on the LPGA as well. Overall, I’m feeling great. Feeling grateful that this has happened this year.”

With three events left on the LPGA schedule in 2022, Thitikul will skip next week’s Pelican LPGA Championship and close out her season at the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida. She joins Ariya Jutanugarn as the only Thai players to reach No. 1.

“Being No. 1 is pressure,” said Thitikul. “I don’t know how long I’m going to be No. 1 in the world, but at least it’s just a ranking. But, what you have to do is improve yourself a lot. I mean, no matter where I am – No. 1, 10, 20, or 100 – I’m just trying to improve myself and be myself every day that I play as a person and as a competitor as well.”

Here are five things to know about the humble prodigy who now sits on top of the world:

Five things to know about the LPGA’s new No. 1, a player known as ‘Jeeno’

“I’m just trying to improve myself and be myself every day.”

Atthaya Thitikul will tee it up as the No. 1 player in the world for the first time this week at the Toto Japan Classic. The 19-year-old joins Lydia Ko as the only teenagers to reach No. 1. Thitikul, who goes by the nickname “Jeeno,” is also the second rookie in history to become No. 1, along with South Korea’s Sung Hyun Park.

“I hadn’t thought that I would be No. 1 in the world that fast,” said Thitikul during a pre-tournament press conference in Japan. “And I didn’t think I would achieve this in my first year on the LPGA as well. Overall, I’m feeling great. Feeling grateful that this has happened this year.”

With three events left on the LPGA schedule in 2022, Thitikul will skip next week’s Pelican LPGA Championship and close out her season at the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida. She joins Ariya Jutanugarn as the only Thai players to reach No. 1.

“Being No. 1 is pressure,” said Thitikul. “I don’t know how long I’m going to be No. 1 in the world, but at least it’s just a ranking. But, what you have to do is improve yourself a lot. I mean, no matter where I am – No. 1, 10, 20, or 100 – I’m just trying to improve myself and be myself every day that I play as a person and as a competitor as well.”

Here are five things to know about the humble prodigy who now sits on top of the world:

Rory McIlroy defends at CJ Cup, returns to World No. 1

McIlroy’s No. 1 for the ninth time: “When he gets that putter going, he’s tough to beat and that’s kind of what happened.”

If someone had told Rory McIlroy after he had missed the cut at the Valero Texas Open in April that he’d be World No. 1 just six months later, he wouldn’t have believed it.

“I would have asked them what they were smoking,” McIlroy said.

And yet there McIlroy is, on top of the golf world again.

The 33-year-old Northern Irishman carded four back-nine birdies on Sunday, signing for 4-under 67 at Congaree Golf Club to win the CJ Cup in South Carolina and ascend to World No. 1.

McIlroy successfully defended his title – which he won in Las Vegas at The Summit Club a year ago – for his 23rd PGA Tour title, posting a 72-hole total of 17-under 267, one stroke better than Kurt Kitayama, in Ridgeland, South Carolina.

“It means a lot,” McIlroy said of returning to World No. 1 for the first time since July 2020. “I’ve worked so hard over the last 12 months to get back to this place.”

McIlroy, who won the season-long FedEx Cup in August, joins Tiger Woods as the only reigning FedEx Cup champions to win his first start of the next season. (Woods won the 2008 Farmers Insurance Open.)

Carrying a one-stroke lead into Sunday, McIlroy opened the final round with three birdies in his first six holes before three-putting from 27 feet at No. 8 for a bogey. Another former World No. 1 Jon Rahm made birdies on three of his first five holes to give chase but failed to make a birdie after the 12th and shot 69. He settled for a tie for fourth with Tommy Fleetwood, who closed in 65.

McIlroy turned on the after burners on the second nine. Sensing he was in a dog fight with Jon Rahm and promising pro Kurt Kitayama, McIlroy reeled off four birdies in a five-hole stretch beginning with at the par-5 12th, where he wedged to a foot from 60 yards.

“The birdie on 14 was the real turning point for me,” McIlroy said. “It’s a really tough par 3, to make 2 there felt like I picked up at least a shot and a half on the field.”

Kitayama, who was bidding for his first PGA Tour title, put up a strong fight. He uncorked a 339-yard drive at the par-4 15th to set up a 44-foot eagle putt, but failed to take advantage, lipping out a 6-foot birdie and settling for a 3-putt par. He shot 67 and notched his third runner-up finish of the year in his last 14 starts. At the same hole, McIlroy drove into a waste bunker, but wedged to 5 feet and canned the putt to extend his lead to two shots with three holes to play. McIlroy smelled blood in the water, pouring in a 22-foot birdie putt one hole later and pumped his fist as he knew victory was now in his sights.

“When he gets that putter going, he’s tough to beat and that’s kind of what happened,” Kitayama said. “He made those three putts, that was the difference.”

McIlroy needed every bit of the cushion too as bogeys at 17 and 18 made it a bit more interesting than he would’ve liked. Still, it was enough to secure at least one win in six consecutive seasons on the Tour.

“It feels great to go out there, go out there with a lead, shoot a great score, play really well and get the win,” he said. “It’s an awesome way to start the season, I guess, and obviously just a continuation of how I feel like I’ve been playing over the last few months.”

Back in San Antonio in April, McIlroy already was down in the dumps after missing the cut on Friday and was unable to catch a flight home to Florida until the morning.

“Got back up to my hotel room and went to order room service and they said it will be a two-and-a-half-hour wait. So I basically missed the cut, went to bed on an empty stomach and I was like, let’s just wake up tomorrow and start again,” he recalled.

In notching his third win since June, McIlroy, who has been No. 1 for a total of 106 weeks during his career, supplanted Scottie Scheffler, who had been No. 1 for 30 weeks since March 27 and finished T-45. McIlroy claimed World No.1 for the first time in March 2012 after winning the Honda Classic. He returned to the top spot for the ninth time in his career. For McIlroy, it was the journey more than destination that mattered to him.

“Just the journey of trying to get the best out of myself. I think that’s the satisfying thing,” he said. “I never feel like I’ve figured this game out, I don’t think I ever will figure it out, but every day I wake up trying to get closer.”

Rory McIlroy defends at CJ Cup, returns to World No. 1

McIlroy returns to World No. 1 for the ninth time in his career with his 23rd PGA Tour title.

Rory McIlroy is No. 1 in the world again.

The 33-year-old Northern Irishman carded four back-nine birdies on Sunday and signed for 4-under 67 at Congaree Golf Club to win the CJ Cup in South Carolina.

McIlroy successfully defended his title – which he won in Las Vegas at The Summit Club a year ago – for his 23rd PGA Tour title, posting a 72-hole total of 17-under 267, one stroke better than Kurt Kitayama, in Ridgeland, South Carolina.

McIlroy, who won the season-long FedEx Cup in August, joins Tiger Woods as the only reigning FedEx Cup champions to win his first start of the next season. (Woods won the 2008 Farmers Insurance Open.)

Carrying a one-stroke lead into Sunday, McIlroy opened the final round with three birdies in his first six holes before three-putting from 27 feet at No. 8 for a bogey. Another former World No. 1 Jon Rahm made birdies on three of his first five holes to give chase but failed to make a birdie after the 12th and shot 69. He settled for a tie for fourth with Tommy Fleetwood, who closed in 65.

CJ Cup: Check out the clubs Rory used to win in South Carolina

McIlroy turned on the after burners on the second nine. Sensing he was in a dog fight with Rahm and promising pro Kurt Kitayama, McIlroy reeled off four birdies in a five-hole stretch beginning with the par-5 12th, where he wedged to a foot from 60 yards.

Kitayama, who was bidding for his first PGA Tour title, uncorked a 339-yard drive at the par-4 15th to set up a 44-foot eagle putt, but failed to take advantage, making a 3-putt par. He shot 67 and notched his third runner-up finish this year. At the same hole, McIlroy drove into a waste bunker, but wedged to 5 feet and canned the putt to extend his lead to two shots with three holes to play. McIlroy smelled blood in the water, pouring in a 22-foot birdie putt one hole later and pumped his fist as he knew victory was now in his sights. Bogeys at 17 and 18 made it a bit interesting but it was enough to secure at least one win in six consecutive seasons on the Tour.

Lynch: PGA Tour close to healing self-inflicted wound of a fall schedule

In doing so, McIlroy, who has been No. 1 for a total of 106 weeks, returned to the top spot for the ninth time in his career. Speaking ahead of the tournament, McIlroy said of the chance to regain World No. 1 this week that he enjoyed the journey more than destination.

“It sort of illustrates you can have your runs and you can stay there, but I think the cool part is the journey and the journey getting back there,” he said. “It’s sort of like a heavyweight boxer losing a world title and it’s a journey to get that title back. I feel like that’s the cool part of it and that’s the journey that I’ve sort of been through over the past 12 months.”

Rory McIlroy can regain world No. 1 at CJ Cup and why the ranking still matters to him

“It’s sort of like a heavyweight boxer losing a world title and it’s a journey to get that title back”

RIDGELAND, S.C. – Rory McIlroy has his sights set on returning to world No. 1 for the first time in more than two years as he defends his title at the CJ Cup in South Carolina.

McIlroy needs either to win this week and have reigning world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler finish worse than a two-way tie for second, or he can finish second as long as Scheffler finishes worse than 34th (out of a field of 78), to return to the top spot in the Official World Golf Ranking for the ninth different time in his career. To date, McIlroy’s spent a total of 106 weeks as king of the hill, relinquishing the throne on July 19, 2020, when Jon Rahm unseated him. (Scheffler has been No. 1 for 30 weeks since March 27.)

It’s been more than a decade since McIlroy claimed world No.1 for the first time after outdueling Tiger Woods to win the 2012 Honda Classic. It had been a goal of McIlroy’s ever since he had cracked the top five with a victory at the 2011 U.S. Open.

CJ Cup: Thursday tee times, how to watch

“I remember waking up the next morning and being like, ‘Is this it?’ You know, you sort of, you work towards a goal for so long and then you wake up the next day and you don’t feel any different after having achieved it,” he said. “So I think then it’s a matter of having to reframe your goals and reframe what success looks like. I think that’s one of the great things about this game, no matter how much you’ve achieved or how much success you’ve had, you always want to do something else, there’s always something else to do.”

For years, McIlroy has made a habit of checking every Sunday night the Twitter handle VC606, who has become an authority on the complex mathematical formula that weights tournaments played over the last two years on a sliding scale, so recent performances carry greater importance, and based on strength of field, for the latest movements in the rankings. Then he’ll log on to the OWGR website on Monday morning for closer inspection.

“I maybe don’t keep as much of a close eye on it as I used to, but still it’s a point of pride for all of us out there to be highly ranked and to get to No. 1 in the world at whatever you do is an unbelievable accolade,” he said.

To McIlroy, who won the FedEx Cup for an unprecedented third time in August, regaining the top spot would signify how far he has come since the PGA Tour resumed its season in July 2020 after a 90-day COVID-19 break. McIlroy slumped – for him – dropping as low as No. 16 in the world last August and entered the 2021 CJ Cup, which was played a year ago in Las Vegas, at No. 13. The low point? Last year’s Ryder Cup when the de facto leader of Team Europe played so poorly that he was benched for one of the sessions on Saturday for the first time.

“I think that was like the reset button for me to sort of…ask myself some tough questions, and thankfully I’ve come out the other side of it and I’m better for that experience,” he said.

What McIlroy has accomplished since his win at the CJ Cup – two more titles among 13 straight events of T-20 or better – is all the more impressive when you consider he’s become the unofficial spokesman for the Tour during its battle with Saudi-funded LIV Golf.

“The golf is one thing – we know how great he is – but the fact that he shouldered such a responsibility for the Tour, for the history of golf, for what he thinks golf should be and the fact that he took a stand of where the LIV money is coming from and was a leader, that was the most impressive thing to me,” said NBC/Golf Channel analyst John Wood. “To take on that responsibility and play great golf was phenomenal. It’s one of the most impressive seasons I’ve seen.”

As the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu once said, the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. For McIlroy, it began with his victory at the CJ Cup a year ago. Whether he achieves the feat of world No. 1 again or not this week, it’s the journey, he said, that he’ll cherish most.

“It’s sort of like a heavyweight boxer losing a world title and it’s a journey to get that title back,” he said. “I feel like that’s the cool part of it and that’s the journey that I’ve sort of been through over the past 12 months.”

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Scottie Scheffler tops Kevin Kisner at WGC-Technologies Match Play, will move to World No. 1

Scheffler finished off an incredible week with a pair of convincing victories Sunday at Austin Country Club.

AUSTIN, Texas — When Scottie Scheffler was playing at the University of Texas, head coach John Fields would often follow the young prodigy, offering a number and some fatherly advice when it seemed appropriate.

Fields noticed that when he did so, Scheffler would often struggle, forcing something that simply didn’t come naturally.

But when Fields stayed quiet and let Scheffler visualize and execute his own shot, that’s when the magic would happen.

“He just had to see it himself,” Fields said this week. “He had to be his own person.”

On Sunday, Scheffler got to see it all himself: a third PGA Tour victory in a handful of months, a $2.1 million top prize, and the summit of an amazing hike that’s expected to see him become the No. 1 golfer in the world by virtue of his victory at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.

All in the town where he cut his teeth as a collegian.

Scheffler finished off an incredible week with a pair of convincing victories, first getting 5 up on Dustin Johnson through 11 before winning 3 and 1, then rolling past match-play stalwart Kevin Kisner 4 and 3 in the final to earn the title.

The former Longhorn, who won three Big 12 Championships while attending his alma mater just a handful of miles from Austin Country Club, said confidence and consistency have been the keys to his ascent. He’s expected to jump above Jon Rahm when the Official World Golf Ranking gets updated on Monday.

Scottie Scheffler acknowledges his supporters on the 6th hole during the final round of the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports

“I’d say just like anything out here, you kind of have to see your own shot. I think I’ve really worked hard at being more consistent with my ball-striking since I was in college,” said Scheffler, who has won three times in five starts and has ascended with caddie Ted Scott on his bag. “In college, I kind of fought my swing a little bit, and as I’ve turned pro I feel like I’ve improved in a few aspects of my game and just gotten more comfortable. Through the work I’ve put in I’ve just gained some more confidence, and I feel like I have a lot of different shots that we can kind of use.”

In the semifinals, Scheffler squared off against 2017 champ Johnson, and captured two of the first three holes en route to a big edge. Although Johnson made a run, winning three consecutive holes to get back within striking distance, Scheffler won 16 and 17 to close out the lone major champ in the final four.

He started just as strong in the final, jumping out to a 3-up lead in the first six holes on Kisner, who has been a buzzsaw in this format, winning 22 of his previous 29 matches.

In the consolation match, Corey Conners rushed out to a 4-up lead through the first half-dozen holes and defeated Johnson, 3 and 1.

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World No. 1, 2, & 3 makes it a party atop the Masters leaderboard after the second round

Golfweek’s Adam Schupak recaps the second round of play for the 2020 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club.

Golfweek’s Adam Schupak recaps the second round of play for the 2020 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club.