Adam Scott dethrones Tiger Woods, tops golf ranking table

London: Adam Scott officially replaced Tiger Woods as world  No.1 golfer on Monday, ending the American’s 60 week reign on the top of the rankings.

Scott, 33, is the first Australian to be World No.1 since his boyhood hero Greg Norman, who spent 331 weeks in the position in the 1980s and ‘90s.

The 2013 Masters champion was inactive last week, but was already assured of taking top spot with Woods sidelined with a long-standing back problem.

Playing in the Byron Nelson event, American Matt Kuchar could also have moved ahead of Woods but tied for seventh and had to settle for fourth spot in the rankings.

Scott has not won a tournament since his historic victory at Augusta National 13 months ago, but he has benefitted from the absence of Woods, who said recently he still does not know when he will return to competition following surgery on his back. Woods returned to the top of the rankings in March 2013, taking over from Rory McIlory.

The American has spent a total of 683 weeks as the world’s best during the course of his career.

Scott, the new world No.1 becomes the 17th player to achieve this feet since Germany’s Bernhard Langer was the first in 1986.