Thursday 24 July 2014 12:36, UK
Adam Scott is No 1 on the first official Olympic Ranking list to be published ahead of the 2016 Games in Brazil.
And if the current list still applies in two years’ time, it would mean Tiger Woods would have qualified to represent the United States but there would be no place for Phil Mickelson.
After a gap of 112 years, golf returns as an Olympic sport in Rio de Janeiro where 60-player fields will contest the medals in both the men’s and women’s events.
For the next two years, players will accumulate points during a 24-month window to try to qualify for the Olympics, with the final list to be posted on July 11, 2016.
The top 15 will qualify for Rio, although there will be a maximum of four players from any country within this group.
Below the top 15, the next 45 will allow a maximum of two per country with hosts Brazil guaranteed one place in each of the 72-hole competitions.
As it stands, the US would be the only country to have four players in the men’s event through Bubba Watson (6), Matt Kuchar (7), Woods (9) and Jim Furyk (10).
The highest ranked player who would not be eligible to play – based on current positions – is world No 11 Jordan Speith because there are four of his compatriots ahead of him.
The world’s lowest ranked player sneaking into 60th spot in the men’s Olympic list is Belgium’s Thomas Pieters who is a lowly 290th in the official world standings.
There are presently 29 Americans in the top 60 of the Official World Ranking.
The United States would also have four in the women’s event, with the list currently headed by Stacy Lewis.
Men’s Top 20 (as of July 24):
1 Adam Scott (Aus)
2 Rory McIlroy (Ire)
3 Henrik Stenson (Swe)
4 Justin Rose (Gbr)
5 Sergio Garcia (Esp)
6 Bubba Watson (USA)
7 Matt Kuchar (USA)
8 Jason Day (Aus)
9 Tiger Woods (USA)
10 Jim Furyk (USA)
11 Martin Kaymer (Ger)
12 Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn)
13 Graeme McDowell (Irl)
14 Luke Donald (Gbr)
15 Victor Dubuisson (Fra)
16 Thomas Bjorn (Den)
17 Charl Schwartzel (Rsa)
18 Miguel Angel Jimenez (Esp)
19 Thongchai Jaidee (Tha)
20 Graham DeLaet (Can)
Women’s Top 20 (as of July 24):
1 Stacy Lewis (USA)
2 Lydia Ko (Nzl)
3 Inbee Park (Kor)
4 Suzann Pettersen (Nor)
5 Lexi Thompson (USA)
6 Michelle Wie (USA)
7 Karrie Webb (Aus)
8 Shanshan Feng (Chn)
9 So Yeon Ryu (Kor)
10 Anna Nordqvist (Swe)
11 Cristie Kerr (USA)
12 Amy Yang (Kor)
13 Catriona Matthew (Gbr)
14 Azahara Munoz (Esp)
15 Pornanong Phatlum (Tha)
16 Charley Hull (Gbr)
17 Karine Icher (Fra)
18 Caroline Hedwall (Swe)
19 Beatriz Recari (Esp)
20 Sakura Yokomine (Jpn)
