• WGC-Cadillac Championship

Woods could lose world No.1 spot to Scott

ESPN staff
March 4, 2014
Adam Scott could be just Austalia's second ever world No.1 come Sunday © AP
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Tiger Woods could lose his world No.1 spot to Adam Scott at this week's WGC-Cadillac Championship - precisely one year after reclaiming it from Rory McIlroy.

Masters champion Scott, who has not played since the Sony Open six weeks ago, will move to the summit of the rankings if he claims victory at Doral and Woods finishes outside the top seven.

Woods has held the No.1 position for a record 673 weeks - his latest stint having lasted for a 12 months having regained it with victory in the same event last year.

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But the 14-time major champion may not even defend his title over the newly-designed Blue Monster course this week, having pulled out of the Honda Classic midway through the final round on Sunday with back pain.

Should Scott reach world No.1, he will become just the second man from his country to do so. Greg Norman held the position for 331 weeks - ending in January 1998.

Scott has experienced a remarkable 12 months, highlighted by becoming the first Australian to slip on the famous green jacket at Augusta. The 33-year-old followed up his maiden major with victory at The Barclays in the FedEx Cup play-offs, before returning home to take the Australian PGA Championship and Australian Masters.

He was denied becoming just the second player to win the Australian Triple Crown when McIlroy snatched the Australian Open at Royal Sydney at the 72nd hole, but the Northern Irishman described Scott as "arguably the best player in the world at the moment".

Scott has recorded four top-10 finishes at the WGC Cadillac Championship, including a tie for third last year.

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