Rory McIlroy has slipped to his lowest World Ranking in nearly 20 months after a middle-of-the-field showing in last week’s CJ Cup.
McIlroy has dropped to World No.5 following his share of 21st place in Las Vegas.
It is McIlroy’s lowest ranking since he was 6th in the world in also finishing in sixth place in the 2019 defence of his Arnold Palmer Invitational title in suburban Orlando.
McIlroy’s fourth place last week on the rankings has been taken by U.S. Open champ, Collin Morikawa.
McIlroy had been No. 1 in the world on the June 11th return to competition but he has failed to reproduce any winning form in the 12 events he’s contested, with a best showing of a T7th in the Tour Championship followed by an eighth-place result at the U.S. Open.
And November 3rd will mark a year since McIlroy last won in capturing the HSBC Champions event in Shanghai.
Shane Lowry has also dropped down the rankings albeit only one spot to World No. 31 following his share of 28th place in the CJ Cup.
The reigning Open champ peaked at World No.19 in winning at Royal Portrush.
Graeme McDowell also has dropped two spots to World No.65 despite not competing last week with the Ulsterman having jumped 57 spots to World No.47 in capturing March’s Saudi International title.
It didn’t help GMac’s cause missing 10 of 15 cuts since his victory in Saudi Arabia.
Clandeboye’s Jonathan Caldwell is the biggest Irish mover on the rankings jumping 111 places to the new World No. 433, a career high, on the back of his share of seventh in the Scottish Championship.
The effort on the outskirts of St. Andrews was Caldwell’s best finish in 31 events on the European Tour and also generated plenty of congratulatory tweets to his account and also at his beloved Clandeboye club.
Caldwell’s top-10 finish in Scotland has seen him also jump to 122nd on the Tour’s Race to Dubai money list but he’ll probably need a couple more of those results in the coming weeks to have any hint of contesting the season-ending DP- World Tour Championship early December in Dubai.
Caldwell is still assured full membership for the 2021 season.
“Dubai is a long way away and I would have to do some serious golfing between now and then to have a chance of making the DP World,” he said.
“The purses and points we are playing for aren’t obviously that huge. But I will just continue to do what I am doing and see what happens.
“I will still have the same category I had this year but it will mean I will start again next year playing with no pressure, just trying to make some money.
“So far, I haven’t lost any!”
And helping Caldwell in recent weeks has been his work with coach, Paddy Small and the guidance of caddy, Henry Tomlinson.
Tomlinson, who has a degree in sports psychology, previously caddied for Ardglass golfer, Cormac Sharvin.
“We did a bit of work down in Ardglass the week after Galgorm and he has been a great help while my caddie Henry Tomlinson has been a good help,” said Caldwell.
“It’s the first time I have had a good, proper caddie. I just try to hit it where he tells me as best I can. I won’t get too far ahead of myself, just keep doing what I have been doing.”
Next-up for Caldwell is this week’s Italian Open in Brescia.
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