The Shark’s record has been caught again. First, Norman ceded his CEO seat at LIV Golf. On January 15, 2025, Greg Norman stepped down as LIV Golf’s CEO after leading since its 2021 launch. Then, joined Scott O’Neil, a sports industry veteran with past stints running the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils. This leadership move drew positive reactions.
Once a fierce critic, Rory McIlroy tipped his cap to Norman, saying, “He took a lot of flak but got it off the ground—you have to respect that.” With Norman at the helm, LIV Golf became golf’s ultimate disruptor, landing major names like Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith. One such golfer has bagged Norman’s longest-celebrated title.
The OWGR throne! Greg Norman’s 96-week reign as World No. 1 stood for decades, but Scottie Scheffler has now matched the feat, proving once again that golf’s tides are always shifting. Scheffler swung in the 2025 season without surrendering his top spot in OWGR, becoming just the second player after Tiger Woods to hold one of the longest uninterrupted reigns at No. 1. Greg Norman once came close to a historic 100-week streak, but Tom Lehman briefly dethroned him after the 1997 Masters. Norman reclaimed the top spot for seven weeks—but the streak was broken. Now? Scheffler has taken over, etching his name deeper into golf history.
Though Scheffler is currently struggling, how did this remarkable feat come about? Scheffler’s current streak at the top of the OWGR began at the 2023 PGA Championship, where he tied for second, finishing just two strokes behind Brooks Koepka. Coupled with several top-10 finishes throughout 2023, Scheffler solidified his status as the best player heading into the upcoming year.
That was just the beginning for this American golfing star. In 2024, Scottie Scheffler continued to excel, earning comparisons to Tiger Woods himself. What were some of his notable achievements? Scheffler won his second green jacket and successfully defended his title at the PLAYERS Championship. He also claimed victory at the Tour Championship, along with four other big events. Additionally, he won gold in the Olympic men’s competition in Paris and received both the PGA Tour Player of the Year Award and the Jack Nicklaus Award. And this doesn’t even account for the numerous records he set along the way! With his Travelers Championship win, Scottie Scheffler became the first since Tiger Woods to notch six victories before July. He also racked up 17 top-10s (eclipsing Woods’ 12), and amassed 2,000 FedEx Cup points, the best since 2009. In a season where Tiger’s presence was minimal, Scheffler’s dominance spoke volumes.
Scottie Scheffler officially now has the 3rd longest consecutive streak at World No. 1 at 97 weeks, surpassing Greg Norman’s 96.
The other two are Tiger Woods’ which would require Scottie to stay at the top for… 3 and a half more years. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Z7BtRN8T3L
— TrackingScheffler (@SchefflerLegion) March 25, 2025
However, of course, when it comes to this particular record, Tiger Woods sits on the top, far out of everyone’s reach. At least for now. Regardless, Tiger Woods has spent 623 weeks as the World No. 1 ranked player – a feat that seems impossible to even imagine! And there were two times in history when the golfer sat atop the throne for over 100 weeks. The first being from 1999 to 2004 and the second being between 2005 and 2010. But, this wasn’t the first time an iconic record has been challenged by a fairly young golfer.
Tiger Woods is a strong golfer next to Jack Nicklaus
The year is 2002 and a 26-year-old olf Tiger Woods is playing alongside Jack Nicklaus (then 62-year-old). Then, playing for this made-for-TV show ‘Battle at Bighorn,’ “It’s kind of amazing how two different people from two different eras who don’t have much contact can feel close, but we do.” However, since then, we have come very far. Firstly, when it comes to PGA Tour titles, Woods is clearly far ahead of Nicklaus. Nicklaus has a total of 73 PGA titles, with Woods claiming a 82. Plus, Nicklaus has received the PGA Tour Player of the Year award 5 times in his career. Woods has received it a record 11 times. Not even close.
Certainly, history was being made even before Scottie Scheffler found his peak form in 2024. Take for example the fact that Woods has an all-time PGA Tour record for most consecutive cuts made. From 1998 to 2005, Woods made 142 back-to-back cuts with Nicklaus falling short behind with a record of 105 cuts.
Then, if you compare their combined first-place and runner-up finishes, Tiger Woods has a 28% success rate. When it comes to Jack Nicklaus, has a 22% success rate. However, when it comes to the top-10 finishes, Nicklaus finished in the top 10 48% of the time, compared to Woods’s 56%, which includes 14 top-10 finishes. Definitely, it also has to do with the improved technology, and many other factors. But does that diminish the value of broken records? Share your thoughts with us!
