It might feel somewhat unsatisfactory to go to the top of the rankings without playing a tournament, but Rory McIlroy’s return to world number one is no statistical fluke.
McIlroy is back on top of the world because he is the best player on the planet.
The official ranking system does a fine job rating the relative merits of the best players.
No one argued with the formula that confirmed Tiger Woods’ undisputed status during the 683 weeks he has spent as world number one and few, if any, have questioned Brooks Koepka’s right to hold the position for the past 38 weeks.
The 29-year-old Floridian went to the top of the tree with his victory in last May’s PGA Championship. Thereafter though, he has won only one tournament and since that victory in Memphis in July, has secured only one more top-10 finish. (Text courtesy of the BBC)