This a list of all the World No 1 golfers in both the men’s and women’s games, the countries to have provided the most world No 1s, and various records.
Before you carry, would you like to take our quiz where you can guess which players have been World No 1? If so, you’ll find that here, otherwise keep scrolling…
World No 1 golfers list
Below is the full list of golfers to reach World No 1 in the men’s and women’s game – both in chronological order of when they first moved to the summit.
Men’s game
Bernhard Langer (Germany)
Seve Ballesteros (Spain)
Greg Norman (Australia)
Nick Faldo (England)
Ian Woosnam (Wales)
Fred Couples (USA)
Nick Price (Zimbabwe)
Tom Lehman (USA)
Tiger Woods (USA)
Ernie Els (South Africa)
David Duval (USA)
Vijay Singh (Fiji)
Lee Westwood (England)
Martin Kaymer (Germany)
Luke Donald (England)
Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland)
Adam Scott (Australia)
Jordan Spieth (USA)
Jason Day (Australia)
Dustin Johnson (USA)
Justin Thomas (USA)
Justin Rose (England)
Brooks Koepka (USA)
Jon Rahm (Spain)
Scottie Scheffler (USA)
Most consecutive weeks: 281 (Tiger Woods, 2005-2010)
Most total weeks: 683 (Tiger Woods, 1997-2014)
Fewest total weeks: 1 (Tom Lehman, 1997)
World No 1 golfers who spent an entire calendar year in top spot: 3 (Nick Faldo in 1993, Greg Norman in 1996, and Tiger Woods in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009)
Women’s game
Annika Sorenstam (Sweden)
Loren Ochoa (Mexico)
Jiyai Shin (South Korea)
Ai Miyazato (Japan)
Cristie Kerr (USA)
Yani Tseng (Taiwan)
Stacy Lewis (USA)
Inbee Park (South Korea)
Lydia Ko (New Zealand)
Ariya Jutanugarn (Thailand)
So Yeon Ryu (South Korea)
Sung Hyun Park (South Korea)
Shanshan Feng (China)
Jin Young Ko (South Korea)
Nelly Korda (USA)
Atthaya Thitikul (Thailand)
Countries to produce the most World No 1 golfers
Men’s game
9: USA (Fred Couples, Tom Lehman, Tiger Woods, David Duval, Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka, Scottie Scheffler)
4: England (Nick Faldo, Lee Westwood, Luke Donald, Justin Rose)
3: Australia (Greg Norman, Adam Scott, Jason Day)
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2: Spain (Ballesteros, Rahm); Germany (Bernhard Langer, Maymer Kaymer)
1: Wales (Ian Woosnam); Zimbabwe (Nick Price); South Africa (Ernie Els); Fiji (Vijay Singh); Northern Ireland (Rory McIlroy)
Women’s game
5: South Korea (Jiyai Shin, Inbee Park, So Yeon Ryu, Sung Hyun Park, Jin Young Ko)
3: USA (Cristie Kerr, Stacy Lewis, Nelly Korda)
2: Thailand (Ariya Jutanugarn, Atthaya Thitikul)
1: Sweden (Annika Sorenstam); Mexico (Lorena Ochoa); Japan
(Ai Miyazato); Taiwan (Yani Tseng); New Zealand (Lydia Ko); China (Shanshan Feng)
- Visit the Official World Golf Ranking website and Rolex Rankings website for more information
