The golf world has seen legendary golfers over the years like Gary Player, Tiger Woods, and Jack Nicklaus. While these golfers have written their names in the history books, there are others who once appeared to be on their way to legendary status but suddenly fell off the radar.
At their peak, some of these players dominated leaderboards, captured major titles, and climbed to World No. 1, earning fame and fortune along the way. But just as quickly as they rose, they faded into obscurity, undone by injuries, loss of form, or personal challenges that halted their momentum.
Top Golfers Who Fell Off The Spotlight
David Duval
David Duval won the 2001 Open Championship and was one of the most feared players on the planet. However, he experienced a sharp decline after that triumph. By 2002, he was 80th on the money list, and by 2003, he had fallen to 211th.
His game was impacted by multiple back, wrist, and shoulder problems, as well as personal challenges, including vertigo, which hampered his ability to play at the top level. Duval, who once reached World No. 1, never won again on the PGA Tour after that Open Championship victory.
Jason Day
Jason Day once held the World No. 1 ranking and won the 2015 PGA Championship, among other tournaments. His swing, short game, and putting were all elite. But over time, back injuries began to catch up with him, and his world ranking dropped to 175th by the start of 2023.
His putting went from a strength to a weakness, and while Day has tried to rebuild his form, his performance hasn’t returned to the dominant level he once occupied.
Jordan Spieth
The story of Jordan Spieth is similar, though slightly different. The story of Jordan Spieth is similar, though slightly different. He broke through in 2015 and 2016 with multiple major wins and quickly rose to World No. 1. At that time, he was widely seen as the heir to Tiger Woods — a calm, mentally strong competitor with a golden short game.
But since then, Spieth’s form has fluctuated sharply, and his game has gradually declined from its earlier heights. His approach play, once a standout strength, deteriorated — he ranked 131st in that metric in 2024 — and his putting, which once defined his brilliance, tumbled to 155th back in 2022.
In 2024, Spieth slipped outside the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking — a stunning fall for someone who, less than a decade earlier, seemed untouchable. He has since admitted that overthinking and swing changes may have contributed to his struggles.
An operation on his wrist in August 2024, along with lingering injuries, further disrupted his rhythm, forcing him to miss key events late in the season. Still, Spieth remains determined to rebuild his confidence and consistency, recently saying that he believes “the best golf of my career is still ahead.”
Tiger Woods
Although Tiger Woods remains one of golf’s all-time greats, even he has experienced one of the most dramatic downfalls in golf history. Woods held the World No. 1 spot for a record 683 weeks, but his position fell to career-worst levels by late 2023 and into 2024 due to multiple injuries that forced him to miss several tournaments.
In November 2023, his ranking dropped to No. 1,307, the lowest of his career up to that point. By October 2025, after missing most of the season through injury, the 49-year-old experienced a further decline as he fell past the top 2,000, ranking 2,048th in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Recent reports suggest that Woods could soon fall off the OWGR entirely, as his inactivity continues to erode his remaining ranking points. Under the OWGR’s two-year rolling system, players lose points if they do not compete regularly, and analysts now warn that by the 2026 Masters, Woods could be officially removed from the world ranking list altogether.
Main Photo Credit: © Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images
