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Rory McIlroy has returned to the top of the world rankings for the first time since September 2015.<\/p>\nRory McIlroy has returned to the top of the world rankings for the first time since September 2015.<\/p>\n
McIlroy and Brooks Koepka did not contest last week\u2019s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am, but McIlroy has moved above the American due to the vagaries of the two-year rolling ranking system.<\/p>\n
However, both are in action at this week\u2019s Genesis Invitational, where Webb Simpson is set to be the only member of the world\u2019s top 10 not competing in a star-studded field at Riviera.<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t know I was going to get a chance this early, but this has been a goal of mine for a while<\/p>\n
This will be McIlroy\u2019s 96th week in total as world number one, one behind the record for a European player held by Sir Nick Faldo, although his lead over fellow four-time major winner Koepka is just 0.03 points.<\/p>\n
McIlroy finished in a tie for third in his only previous start in 2020 at the Farmers Insurance Open, before which he discussed the prospect of becoming world number one again.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t know I was going to get a chance this early, but this has been a goal of mine for a while,\u201d the 30-year-old said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWinning four times last year, I closed the gap a little. There was a point in the middle of last year where I was four ranking points behind Brooks, which is a big gap.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo it wasn\u2019t on the radar when I was flying back from Ireland after the Open, but then, once I\u2019d won the Tour Championship and then won again in China, I kind of saw that gap closing. Then it sort of became, \u2018Huh, I\u2019m actually close\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all have egos out here and it would be great to get back there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Spain\u2019s Jon Rahm is also within touching distance of top spot after two wins, two runners-up finishes and two other top-10s in his last six events.<\/p>\n