Adam Scott said after his breakthrough victory at the Masters that his best golf was yet to come.
He wasn’t kidding.
After his 11-under 273 was good enough to win by one at The Barclays, Scott rose from No. 4 to a career-best No. 2 in the Official World Golf Ranking. He trails Tiger Woods in both the world rankings and FedEx Cup points list.
Scott began the year at No. 7 but has climbed steadily with an impressive 2013 campaign: 13-for-13 in cuts made, six top-10s, nine top-25s and three top-five finishes in majors, including the playoff victory at the Masters. It’s only the second time (2004) that he’s put together a multiple-win season.
Woods, with a runner-up at The Barclays, appears to be in no immediate danger of surrendering his No. 1 spot, even if he is forced to miss time because of a back injury. He is nearly five OWGR points ahead of Scott.
Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy dropped from third to fourth in the world, the lowest he has been ranked since August 2011.
Graham DeLaet rose from No. 76 to No. 48 after being part of the four-way tie for second at Liberty National, while European Tour winner Tommy Fleetwood jumped from No. 277 to No. 162.
The rest of the top 10: Woods, Scott, Phil Mickelson, McIlroy, Justin Rose, Matt Kuchar, Brandt Snedeker, Jason Dufner, Graeme McDowell, Henrik Stenson.