OWGR Files: Scott Moving To No. 1 This Week By Not Playing

Adam Scott was grilled about scoreboard watching last week at The Players...to see if he would get that elusive T16 or better that would vault him to No. 1 in the world. Kind of funny when you think about it.

He really didn't care, and not because he wouldn't be honored. I'm guessing it's just hard to get excited about algorithms when you have a life like Scott's.

Doug Ferguson says the algorithms will vault Scott to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking this week while Scott is not playing, and it's certainly not the first time this has happened. The fifth, to be exact.

Scott had four mathematical chances over the last two months to replace Tiger Woods at No. 1 in the world. His best chance was to win at Bay Hill, only he couldn’t hold a seven-shot lead on the weekend. His most recent opportunity was The Players Championship, where he would have needed a 68 on Sunday. He closed with a 73.

And now that he has a week off, Scott will go to No. 1.

It won’t be official until next week, but here’s what we know. Woods keeps losing points without being able to replace them because he is recovering from back surgery and has not played a tournament in more than two months. Scott will move past Woods this week, and the field at the Byron Nelson Championship is not strong enough that Matt Kuchar could surpass them even if he were to win.

Is it awkward? Sure.

Unprecedented? Not even close.

Ferguson goes on to dig up the past No. 1 ascensions and they're pretty strange.