World number ones, by source date
Neither official ranking table for October 2026 was reached in our research, so this table names each number one together with the date of the source that says so.
| Ranking | No. 1 | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Official World Golf Ranking (men) | Scottie Scheffler | OWGR called him the "undisputed" No. 1 after the Tour Championship, 31 August 2026. Wikipedia lists him as No. 1 as of 18 October 2026. |
| Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings | Nelly Korda | An LPGA headline of 31 July 2026 calls her Rolex Rankings No. 1. That is the latest dated official source we found. |
A Herald Corp preview of the LPGA's Asia swing in October 2026 also described Korda as world No. 1, but that comes from a search summary and we could not check the official table.
The Official World Golf Ranking
How it is calculated
Explainers from Golf Today and GolfWRX, both read through search summaries, describe the system this way:
- The ranking is recalculated every week from finishing positions over a rolling period of about two years (104 weeks).
- The points on offer at an event depend on the strength of its field.
- Points keep their full value for 13 weeks and then lose value each week over the remaining 91 weeks, according to Golf Today. We could not check this against owgr.com.
- A player's ranking is an average: total points divided by the number of events played, with a minimum divisor of 40 events (GolfWRX).
Sources differ
One explainer describes a maximum divisor of 52 events. Our research could not reconcile that with the current formula, so treat it as unconfirmed.
OWGR also awards bonus points for multiple wins. Its own report after the 2026 Tour Championship says Scheffler received the base points for the win plus four multi-win bonus points.
Recent history at the top
- February 2023: Scheffler took back No. 1 from Rory McIlroy by winning the WM Phoenix Open (OWGR, 13 February 2023).
- 21 June 2026: an OWGR snapshot showed Scheffler first and McIlroy second (search summary).
- 31 August 2026: OWGR called Scheffler the "undisputed" world No. 1 after he won the Tour Championship and his second FedEx Cup.
Our research did not include a current points table or a count of Scheffler's weeks at No. 1.
LIV Golf and the ranking
The Golf News Net linked LIV's switch from 54-hole to 72-hole events in 2026 to LIV's long-running lack of OWGR points, saying the 54-hole format had been a barrier to them. See LIV Golf.
The Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings
The women's ranking is the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings. Our research did not cover how its points are calculated, so we only record the changes at the top:
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| August 2025 | Jeeno Thitikul replaced Nelly Korda at No. 1 | NBC Sports |
| April 2026 | Korda regained No. 1 by winning the Chevron Championship, her first time at the top since August 2025 | Front Office Sports, 27 April 2026; search summary of AP |
| 31 July 2026 | Korda still described as Rolex Rankings No. 1 | LPGA headline |
Korda went on to win the U.S. Women's Open in June 2026 as well; see women's majors.
Why the rankings matter
Ranking positions open doors. A Golf Channel report on Masters qualifying (undated) says the top 50 at the end of the previous year, and the top 50 the week before the tournament, receive invitations. Search summaries of PGA Championship field reports list the world ranking among its exemption categories, and LA28 Olympic places come from a separate Olympic Golf Ranking. See the Masters and Olympic golf.
Sources
- Golf Today, How the OWGR golf ranking works
- GolfWRX, Official World Golf Ranking: history and how the system works
- OWGR, Scottie Scheffler secures three-stroke victory to take home the FedEx Cup (31 August 2026)
- Wikipedia, List of world number one male golfers (secondary)
- OWGR, ranking widget (snapshot dated 21 June 2026)
- OWGR, Scottie Scheffler reclaims world No. 1 at WM Phoenix Open (13 February 2023)
- The Golf News Net, LIV Golf expanding to 72 holes from 2026 (4 November 2025)
- Front Office Sports, Nelly Korda reclaims No. 1 ranking (27 April 2026)
- News Tribune (AP), Korda lands third major win at Chevron Championship (27 April 2026)
- NBC Sports, Jeeno Thitikul replaces Nelly Korda as world No. 1 (2025)
- LPGA, Rolex Rankings No. 1 Nelly Korda at T14 after Friday 68 at AIG Women's Open (31 July 2026)
- Herald Corp, LPGA Asia swing preview (October 2026)
- Golf Channel, Augusta National changes qualifying criteria
- Golf Compendium, How golfers qualify for the PGA Championship
- IGF, Olympic golf qualification process officially underway for LA28 (9 June 2026)
- AIG Women's Open, Nelly Korda and Haeran Ryu: 2026 major winners