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Bernhard Langer: 06/04/86 – 20/04/86  3 WEEKS

The Official World Golf Ranking began in 1986 with Germany’s best on top of the world, coupling wins in Europe in the year leading up to the launch of the rankings with major success at the Masters Tournament a year previously in April 1985.

Greg Norman: 14/09/86 – 15/11/87 62 WEEKS

Australia’s finest golfing export began over a decade of World Ranking dominance in 1986 with his first spell as number one. Wins on the PGA Tour and in Europe were coupled with a maiden Major title at The Open leaving ‘The Great White Shark’ on top.

Seve Ballesteros: 27/04/86 – 07/09/86  20 WEEKS

One of Europe’s all time greats the Spaniard was already winning around the world. With Majors and numerous other wins in the build up to 1986 he found himself on top here in the first of a few spells as world number one.

Seve Ballesteros: 22/11/87 1 WEEK

Six wins in Europe during 1986 were not enough for this Spanish great to retake the top spot from his Australian rival. However, solid play in ’87 and a win in Europe were enough to see him return to number one. However his return, although sweet, was awfully short with only a week back at the summit.

Greg Norman: 29/11/87 – 23/10/88  48 WEEKS

‘The Shark’ did not take long to bite back at Ballesteros, only relinquishing his crown to the Spaniard for a week as he returned to the number one spot in November 1987. He would remain there for the best part of a year with wins either side of the Atlantic and back in his native Australia as he established himself as one of the game’s greats.

Greg Norman: 06/11/88  1 WEEK

In what was an epic see-saw battle between Norman and Seve the Australian returned once again to the top of the golfing world. However this time it would be him tasting the bitter medicine that he had so regularly dished out to his Spanish challenger remaining on top for a solitary week.

Seve Ballesteros: 30/10/88 1 WEEK 

 The Spaniard’s second spell of a week as number one came on the back of four wins in Europe, one in America and his fifth Major title and third Open Championship. This really was a spell worthy of being ranked best in the world but once again was only good enough for a week on top.

Seve Ballesteros: 13/11/88 – 19/03/89 19 WEEKS

 In his penultimate spell as the world’s best the swashbuckling Spaniard’s fine play in 1988 was finally enough to see him stay atop the rankings for longer than a week. This must have been welcome relief for Seve who would have enjoyed keeping Norman at bay for a least a little while.

Greg Norman: 26/03/89 1 WEEK

In a reversal of fortunes Norman was once again only able to surpass Seve for a solitary week as number one, continuing the form that saw him become one of the game’s leading players.

Seve Ballesteros: 02/04/89 – 13/08/89 20 WEEKS

Back on top, the Spaniard was once again number one in the world, although this would be the last time he would find himself at the summit of the game. Two victories in Europe in this period kept him on top but it would now be time for Seve to pass the World Ranking baton onto his other European counterparts after a total of 61 weeks as the world’s best golfer.

Greg Norman: 02/08/89 – 26/08/90 54 WEEKS

The Australian great once again returned to the top of the game in the summer of 1989 having lost a play-off to Mark Calcavecchia at the Open Championship a month earlier. Three wins in America kept him as the best in the game but he would soon face a number of new challengers for his top spot.

Nick Faldo: 02/09/90 – 07/10/90  6 WEEKS

Europe’s most successful player entered the fray in 1990, taking Seve’s mantle as title challenger to Norman’s ranking dominance. Faldo had been winning in Europe for over a decade, including two Majors, but 1990 saw him win his second Masters and Open Championship titles and finally take his place atop the rankings.

Greg Norman: 14/10/90 – 27/01/91 16 WEEKS

Norman once again returned to the top in the winter of 1990 for his sixth spell as world number one. There were no wins during this period but his always consistent play saw him overtake Faldo at the pinnacle of the game.

Nick Faldo: 03/02/91 – 31/03/91  9 WEEKS

England’s leading player re-took the number one ranking early in the year as the two jostled for supremacy. Some may question the fashion of the period looking at the picture to the right, but there was no questioning Faldo’s play, as he was once again found himself ranked as the world’s best.

Ian Woosnam: 07/04/91 – 15/03/92 50 WEEKS

Only the fifth player to reach the number one ranking, the diminutive Welshman played with huge heart. He had already racked up over ten wins in Europe by now and on the back of his first PGA Tour triumph Woosnam headed to Augusta National where he claimed his one and only Major title. Further wins followed in Europe and saw Wales’ best golfer stay on top of the world for almost a year, the longest period achieved by anyone other than Greg Norman at this time

Fred Couples: 22/03/92 1 WEEK

Two wins in March backed up a further two the previous year and saw the amenable fans’ favourite attain number one status. This spell only lasted a week but the American would return almost immediately on the back of his first Major success.

Nick Faldo: 29/03/92  1 WEEK

The Englishman leapfrogged Couples for a single week in March. His third spell as number one was definitely short lived but it would not be his last visit to the top of the game.

Fred Couples: 05/04/92 – 12/07/92 15 WEEKS

The long, lazy action of Couples was always great to watch and it reaped great rewards in 1992. He returned to the number one spot sporting the green jacket that signifies Masters success, but this would be Fred’s final trip to the top with a total of 16 weeks as number one.

Nick Faldo: 19/07/92 – 30/01/94 81 WEEKS

The fifth of six Major titles was the catalyst for a spell of World Ranking dominance by one of the game’s all-time greats as he spent a year and a half on top of the world. The Open Championship title in the summer of 1992 was coupled with a further five victories and saw Europe’s most successful ever golfer prove his credentials as such. This would be Faldo’s final spell as number one, spending a total of 97 weeks at the pinnacle of the game and guaranteeing him status as one of its best.

Greg Norman: 06/02/94 – 07/08/94  27 WEEKS

After over three years Norman once again returned to the spot he had held so dominantly during a number of spells since 1986. It was Norman’s second Open Championship victory in 1993 that laid the foundation for another surge to the top in a period that also saw him pick up the Players’ Championship.

Nick Price: 14/08/94 – 11/06/95 44 WEEKS

The seventh visitor to the top of the game came off the back of consecutive Major Championship victories at the Open and PGA Championships. This was backed up by four other victories on the PGA Tour and saw him become the world’s best for a few months short of a year.

Greg Norman: 18/06/95 – 13/04/97 96 WEEKS

The Australian returned to the top of the game in 1995 after wins in Europe and America both before and during a period where he dominated the ranking as number one for a then record 96 weeks. Norman was nearing the end of his dominance but would still have a role to play in the battle for top spot in the years to come.

Tom Lehman: 20/04/97 1 WEEK 

Almost a year after his break through Major triumph the American rose to the top of the game in April 1997. However he would only be there a week, never to return to such heady heights on the ranking.

Greg Norman: 27/04/97 – 08/06/97 7 WEEKS

Another trip to the game’s summit saw Norman spend almost another two months as number one as a new breed of young challengers were emerging to take him on at his own game.

Tiger Woods: 15/06/97 1 WEEK

The birth of a legend, June 1997 saw Tiger’s first trip to number one. Few would have expected the dominance which was to follow as he dipped his toe in the waters of number one status. It would not be long before he returned to the summit.

Ernie Els: 22/06/97 1 WEEK

In a year of number one debutants US Open specialist Ernie Els took the top spot a week after his second victory in that championship. But as Tiger the week before, he could only hang on for a solitary week.

Greg Norman: 29/06/97 1 WEEK

In a rich period for world ranking competition, Norman was the third consecutive number one to only hold the illustrious tag for a week. This would be the Australian’s penultimate trip to the top before handing over his crown to a certain T. Woods.

Greg Norman: 07/09/97 – 04/01/98  18 WEEKS

After almost 14 years in and around the top spot on the ranking this would be the ‘Great White Shark’s’ final stint as number one. In total he spent an incredible 331 weeks at number one in the ranking and held the record at the time for the most consecutive weeks at the summit with a run of 91.

Tiger Woods: 06/07/97 – 31/08/97 9 WEEKS

In his second taste of top spot, Woods held on for a little longer but was yet to realise the dominance that was soon to follow. 1997 saw his record win at the Masters Tournament as well as three other PGA Tour victories that gave him the number one ranking.

Tiger Woods: 11/01/98 – 05/04/98 13 WEEKS

Woods once again dipped in to the top spot for a few months as his four wins in 1997 and one at the start of 1998 were enough to keep the others at bay.

Ernie Els: 12/04/98 – 03/05/98 4 WEEKS 

 The ‘Big Easy’ once again found himself as world number one in 1998 with a month atop the rankings. Wins at home and at Arnold Palmer’s tournament at Bay Hill were sufficient for the South African to go top once more.

Tiger Woods: 10/05/98 1 WEEK

Woods clawed his way to the top of the ranking, but once again it was only for a week after victory at the Bell South Classic on the PGA Tour.

Ernie Els: 17/05/98 –07/06/98 4 WEEKS  This was Ernie’s final trip to the top of the game so far, as he was one of the few to taste number one status with the game moving closer towards the era of Tiger striped dominance.

Tiger Woods: 14/06/98 –21/03/99  41 WEEKS

Finally one of the game’s greats realised his potential in topping the rankings for the best part of a year. Wins in Europe and in his native California saw Tiger get a taste of the kind of dominance he would wield in the coming years.

David Duval: 28/03/99 –27/06/99  14 WEEKS

This would be Tiger’s final challenger for the top spot for some five years. Duval coupled four wins on the PGA Tour in 1998 with a similar feat in the first four months of the following season, including the Players’ Championship, to topple Woods and claim the number one ranking.

Tiger Woods: 04/07/99 – 01/08/99  5 WEEKS

A first Memorial title at the tournament started by Jack Nicklaus alongside another PGA Tour win in the months of June and July saw Tiger reclaim top spot for just over a month. It would be later in August that he would start a period of ranking dominance never seen before.

David Duval: 08/08/99  1 WEEK

This would be this Americans last trip to the top of the ranking with a solitary week giving him a total of 15 as the best player in the game. He would win on the PGA Tour and claim an Open title in the years to come but these were not enough to topple the mighty Tiger.

Tiger Woods: 15/08/99 – 29/08/04  264 WEEKS

Until now the record for consecutive weeks at number one was Greg Norman’s 96 from 1995-97 but Tiger would obliterate this record with unprecedented dominance of the ranking. In this time he would claim seven major titles, eight WGC wins, 15 other PGA Tour victories and three European Tour tournaments.

Vijay Singh: 06/09/04 – 27/02/05  26 WEEKS

As he turned 40 the Big Fijian really hit his stride winning nine times on the PGA Tour in 2004 including his third Major title at the PGA Championship. A further win in Hawaii at the Sony Open in early 2005 would keep him atop the ranking for 26 weeks before Tiger bit back at him.

Tiger Woods: 06/03/05 – 13/03/05 2 WEEKS

 A win at Doral in March saw Tiger return to the top step of the golfing world, but for a mere two weeks, before his Fijian challenger reclaimed the number one spot.

Vijay Singh: 20/03/05 – 03/04/05 3 WEEKS

More solid play from Fiji’s best golfer saw him leapfrog Tiger once more to add another three weeks onto his world number one total.

Tiger Woods: 10/04/05 – 15/05/05 6 WEEKS

With his fourth Masters victory Tiger was back on top for another six weeks. There would only be one more interruption from Singh before another unprecedented spell of dominance from one of the game’s all time greats.

Vijay Singh: 22/05/05 – 05/06/05  3 WEEKS

A further two wins in April and May at the Shell Houston Open and Wachovia Championship saw Singh climb back to the top of the game. It would be the Fijian’s final trip to number one, amassing a total of 32 weeks at number one across three spells at the top of the ranking. He would go on to win many more tournaments in the years to come but this was not enough to get him back above the ever impressive Woods.

Tiger Woods: 12/06/05 – Present*  270 WEEKS*

After returning to the top of the game Woods once again began a spell of unrivalled brilliance. Six Major titles, eight WGCs, 12 other PGA Tour wins and three European victories to date have kept him on top for even longer than his previous brilliant best.