It is the first time since 1996 that the 14-time major winner has been ranked outside of the world’s top 50 players, as the injuries and scandal of the past two years have seen his game go into decline at an alarming rate.
Since the news of his extra-marital affairs and his subsequent divorce from his wife Elin Nordegren, Woods has struggled desperately for form and has not only failed to add to his tally of 14 majors, but hasn’t won a title of any sort since 2009.
During that time, golf has seen the rise of a new generation of stars led by US Open champion Rory McIllroy of Northern Ireland and Woods’ fellow American Ricky Fowler.
Woods’ points average now stands at just 2.8 compared to the 10.7 points average currently held by world number one Luke Donald from the UK.
At the peak of his powers Woods’ average was a mind boggling 32.44. The golfing legend was so far ahead of his nearest rival, Phil Mickelson, that the gap between himself and ‘Lefty’ in second place was bigger than the gap between Mickelson and the world number 1,000 at the time.
Despite his poor form over the past two years, Woods hopes that by enlisting the services of new caddie Joe LaCava he might rediscover his former greatness.
The 35-year-old was given another boost last week when Fred Couples selected him as a wild card pick for November’s Presidents Cup, where the USA takes on an international team made up of non-European players.