McIlroy Augusta bound with lowest ranking since Masters debut

Rory McIlroy is heading to this coming week’s 85th hosting of the Masters with a lowest World Ranking since making his Augusta debut in 2009.

Officials at the World Golf Rankings predict McIlroy to drop to No. 12 on the rankings when Week 14 is officially updated following the close of this week’s Valero Texas Open and the secondary Korn Ferry Tour event.

McIlroy will swap places with fellow four-time Major winning Brooks Koepka who’ll move to No. 11 on the back of news the American has become engaged to be married.

It has been 11-years since McIlroy was last No. 12 in the world and ironically that was missing the halfway cut at the 2010 Masters. Twice before in his pro career, McIlroy driven down Magnolia Lane as No. 1 in the world and that was in 2012 and 2015.

Only once has he driven out of the Augusta National gates as No.1 and that being 2015 where he recorded his best Masters result of fourth.

Here is an overview of McIlroy’s World Rankings in heading and also leaving the Masters through the years:

YEAR       RANKING WEEK PRIOR   MASTERS RESULT    RANKING WEEK AFTER

• 2009              17^th                                              T20th                         17^th
• 2010              11^th                                       MC                             12th
• 2011              8th                                         T15th                         9^th
• 2012              1^st                                           T40th                        2^nd
• 2013              2^nd                                          T25th                        2^nd
• 2014              9^th                                           T8th                          10^th
• 2015              1^st                                           4^th                             1^st
• 2016              3^rd                                           T10th                         3^rd
• 2017              2^nd                                          T7th                           2^nd
• 2018              7^th                                           T5th                           7^th
• 2019              3^rd                                           T21st                          4^th
• 2020              5^th                                           T17th                          4^th
• 2021              12^th (TBC)