Adam Scott, Henrik Stenson could end week ranked No. 1

Since the Official World Golf Ranking was introduced in April 1986, no one has ascended to the top spot by winning the Masters Tournament.
That could change this week.

World No. 2 Adam Scott or No. 3 Henrik Stenson could pass the injured Tiger Woods with strong performances.

Scott would have passed Woods two weeks ago with a win at Bay Hill, but he finished second after carrying a three-shot lead into the final round. He didn’t play in either of the Texas events that serve as a Masters prelude.

If Scott becomes the first player since Woods in 2001-02 to win back-to-back green jackets, he will be on top of the ranking.

Scott has plans to take his green jacket home for another year. The Masters champion is allowed to keep his green jacket for a year, and after that, it must stay in the Champions Locker Room at Augusta National Golf Club.

“I’ve really got this thing in my mind (that) I’m quite determined not to leave it here
on Sunday,” he said Sunday.

If Stenson ends the week ranked No. 1, it will mean every winner of the Race to Dubai, which is the European Tour money list title, will have been the world’s top-ranked player. Previous Race to Dubai winners are Lee Westwood (2009), Martin Kaymer (2010), Luke Donald (2011)
and Rory McIlroy (2012).

“I’m certainly going to keep on trying,” Stenson said. “Everyone that’s won the Race to Dubai managed to be world No. 1 at some stage, so it wouldn’t be fair not to try then, would it? It’s all about how many points you can accumulate, and we’ll see if we can get there one day.”

Stenson has already accomplished a first in pro golf: Last year he won both the Race to Dubai and the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup, which is a points race based on finishes during the season.

With Woods out this week after back surgery, it will be the ninth year in a row that the No. 1-ranked player coming into the Masters will not win the event. Woods was the last to do it, in 2005.

LET’S PLAY 17 HOLES: Masters participants who played early in the day Sunday couldn’t get a full practice round in because the Drive, Putt and Chip Championship National Finals used the 18th green for the putting competition.

The 17th hole was the final hole for Masters competitors, though they did tee off on No. 18, then picked up their balls.

After the youth event ended just after 12:30 p.m., players played the 18th as normal.

ONE BALL, PLEASE: Golfers are being reminded about the tournament’s “one ball” rule during practice rounds, There was this notice on a bulletin board outside the locker room, dated April 1:

“In an effort to protect our course conditions for all players in the field, it is the established custom of the Masters Tournament to allow players one ball from tee to green during all practice rounds. Additional practice on and around the greens is acceptable.”

LONG HISTORY: Russell Henley, a 24-year-old Macon, Ga., native who is playing in his second Masters, has plenty of memories from his youth at the tournament.

“I started going, maybe at 10, 11 or 12 years old,” he said. A friend’s father had tickets.
“We would always go on the weekend, on a Saturday or Sunday and their dad would drop us off,” Henley said. “We would get Krispy Kreme doughnuts and he’d drop us off by the church, and he would walk over and go to Augusta Country Club and pretend he was a member and eat and watch it.”

Henley’s memory of his first visit to the Masters has stayed with him.

“I remember just walking out from right at the bottom of the hill on No. 1, and I remember the smell and the look and how green it was and it was just overwhelming,” he said.

Henley hopes to enjoy his birthday more this year. It’s April 12, which fell on the second round of last year’s Masters. Henley shot 81 to miss the cut. Since his 25th birthday is Saturday this year, he’ll have to make the cut if he wants to celebrate it inside the ropes at Augusta National.