OWGR: Ranking Every World No. 1 in History

18. Luke Donald

Time at the top: 56 weeks

Tom Lehman only owned the ranking for one week, but I’m sure Luke Donald would have traded his 56 weeks at the top for Lehman’s major championship.

Frankly, the lack of a major is what holds Donald back on this list, as his résumé is fairly pristine otherwise. The Englishman made the leap from good to great in 2011, claiming the European Tour Order of Merit and PGA Tour Player of the Year honors in the same season. Equipped with one of the best short games on the planet, Donald won four times worldwide in 2011 and placed in the top 10 on a near weekly basis.

Donald ranks sixth on the list of number ones in terms of weeks spent at the top, but he was also the beneficiary of the void left after Tiger Woods’ departure from the OWGR pinnacle. Without the new Big 3 to stabilize things, parity ruled, and Donald rose to the top.

Next: Lee Westwood