Rory McIlroy could claim world No. 1 with win at The Open

Rory McIlroy surpassed Jon Rahm as the No. 2 player in the world after his win at the Genesis Scottish Open last week. He could do the same to Scottie Scheffler with a win this week at The Open Championship.

McIlroy would claim the No. 1 spot in the Official World Golf Ranking with a victory at Royal Liverpool Golf Club and Scheffler finishing worse than a two-way tie for fourth.

The Scheffler, McIlroy and Rahm trio have spent much of 2023 jockeying for the top spot. McIlroy began the year as world No. 1 but was ousted after Scheffler won the WM Phoenix Open in February. His reign lasted just one week, with Rahm earning the distinction with his win at The Genesis Invitational.

The revolving door continued as Scheffler and Rahm traded wins and top-10 finishes. Scheffler reclaimed the spot after winning THE PLAYERS Championship, only for Rahm to grab it back with his victory at the Masters. Scheffler has held the top spot since a T2 finish at the PGA Championship in May.

Now McIlroy can jump back in the fray with a win this week. After a quiet spring that included missed cuts at THE PLAYERS and the Masters, McIlroy has finished in the top 10 in his last seven starts, including a solo-second finish at the U.S. Open and his win last week at The Renaissance Club. He’s currently third in the FedExCup behind Scheffler and Rahm.

Nobody outside the trio has claimed world No. 1 since July 2021. In that time, Rahm has held the top spot for 45 weeks, Scheffler for 44 weeks and McIlroy for 16 weeks.