Can Rory McIlroy retain the World No. 1 spot in the upcoming weeks?

Rory McIlroy currently holds the No. 1 position in the Official World Golf Rankings. He returned to the top spot for the first time since 2020 on October 23, 2022, upon winning the CJ Cup in South Carolina, earning his 23rd PGA Tour win.

The Northern Irish golfer subsequently held on to it for 16 weeks through the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. McIlroy was pushed down to No. 2 on February 12, 2023, by the 2022 Masters champion Scottie Scheffler. Scheffler defended his title at the WM Phoenix Open, which enabled him to attain the No. 1 spot.

However, McIlroy has reclaimed the title for the 10th time since first claiming the title back in 2012, upon winning the Honda Classic tournament and tying at the 29th rank at the Genesis Invitational held earlier this week.

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Rory McIlroy remains dedicated in the pursuit of defending his position as No. 1

The Genesis Invitational - Final Round (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Mcllroy has always been honest about his desire to maintain his No. 1 spot in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Speaking about the same at the Genesis Invitational, he said:

"Yeah, of course I care about it. I think it's a really cool thing to be ranked No 1 in whatever you do, but I think it just goes to show the level of depth and the level of talent that's out here."

He continued:

"I literally have one average week, it wasn't even a bad week, just an average week, and there's always someone waiting to overtake you or to come and try to take that mantle from you. I think it's a great thing for the game."

McIlroy is known for his for his sporty attitude towards the game and his competitors.

The two-time PGA champion said:

"I've got a chance to get it back this week. You know, hopefully it's a bit of a sort of hot potato thing where me, Scottie and Jon [Rahm] sort of pass it around a little bit because it means we're all playing great golf."

The Irish pro's main challenge in 2023 could be competing with six fellow professionals, which would include Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas, and Tony Finau.

These golfers, who come close to McIlroy's caliber, are among the current top 20 golfers in the world. The two-time PGA champion will have to put forth his best game on the green in the upcoming tournaments to retain his position as No. 1.