Adam Scott has chance to be golf’s No.1

2014 World Golf Championships – Cadillac Championship Preview: Leaderboard

By Brian O’Hare

ADAM SCOTT has the chance to become the first Australian golfer since Greg Norman to hold the world No.1 spot.

The simple task before the 33 year old Aussie is to win the WGC – Cadillac Championship in Florida this weekend against one of the best fields of the year – and to have current world No.1 Tiger Woods finish (approximately) sixth or worse.

Woods, who is the defending champion at the Blue Monster course at Doral and has won this event seven times, is suspect health-wise after withdrawing from the final round of the Honda Classic last weekend with back problems.

He now says after days of constant treatment he will be back in action.

“I feel better; how about that,” Woods said. “It’s been a long couple days of just treatment nonstop.”

Scott, who will play with Woods and Swede Henrik Stenson in the first two rounds – and in a field that includes all the top 50 – isn’t getting ahead of himself.

“Absolutely it will [be a motivation],” the Queenslander told his US PGA Tour media conference. “It’s impossible not to think about it.”

Scott reached world No.3 after his historic win in the US Masters last April and No.2 after winning The Barclays in August. His two wins in Australia at the end of the year and subsequent performances have helped keep him there. Scott tied for sixth at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in his first start this year and followed that with a tie for eighth at the subsequent Sony Open and tied for 12th at The Honda Classic on Sunday.

“It is certainly a little bit sooner than I expected,” Scott said. “Tiger has only played a couple of events, so he has not run away with a lot of points so far this year.”

If Scott attains the No.1 spot – and he’ll likely have more chances as the year progresses – he’ll join mentor Norman as the only other Australian to hold the ranking. Norman held the position for 331 weeks – ending in January 1998.

“It’s an incredible opportunity for me,” Scott said. “It’s taken me a long time to get to this point. I’d love to go out and play great this week and have you guys thinking of writing stories and me thinking of being the No. 1 player the in world when I wake up next Monday. That would be amazing.

“It would be a dream come true to make it to that point, but it’s not necessarily probable, either. There’s no reason why I’m just going to roll out and win this week, but there’s great motivation for me to do that.”

With all the spotlight on Scott, we shouldn’t neglect the other Aussies taking part this week, particularly the new world No.4 Jason Day, who won the first WGC event of the year a couple of weeks back and is also obviously in great form.

Day will be joined by Brett Rumford (World Ranking: 88. In the field for finishing 17th on the 2013 European Tour Race to Dubai), and Scott Hend (World Ranking: 122. In the field for finishing 2nd on the 2013 Asian Tour Order of Merit). Also in the field is Melbourne based Korean Jin Jeong, winner of the 2013 Perth International (WR: 193. In the field for finishing second on the 2013 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit.)

Day will play with Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy in the first two rounds.

2014 WGC – Cadillac Championship TV Times

Live coverage in Australia on Fox Sports beginning Friday 6am – 10.30am.

2014 WGC – Cadillac Championship Leaderboard

 2014 WGC – Cadillac Championship Leaderboard

Most weeks at the top of the World Golf Rankings

Tiger Woods: 673 weeks

Greg Norman: 331 weeks

Nick Faldo: 97 weeks

Seve Ballesteros: 61 weeks

Luke Donald: 54 weeks

Ian Woosnam: 50 weeks

Nick Price: 44 weeks

Rory McIlroy: 39 weeks