Two golfers, Lee Westwood and Justin Leonard, experienced unprecedented improvements in the global golf rankings, vaulting a remarkable 3,200 positions following their impressive performances at the Open Championship.

Lee Westwood and Justin Leonard Shine at The Open Championship

Lee Westwood and Justin Leonard, two veteran golfers, made a significant impact at The Open Championship, with Westwood qualifying for the tournament via Final Qualifying and both players making impressive moves in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).

Westwood, a seasoned professional with 28 Open appearances under his belt, managed to make the cut and secure a strong performance. His OWGR position saw a dramatic rise, moving from 4689th to 930th, and then further improving to 1436th, a jump of 3,253 places. This marked Westwood's best performance at The Open Championship in recent years.

Meanwhile, Leonard, the 1997 Open Champion, played his first weekend at The Open Championship since 2013. Although he finished in a share of 59th place, his consistent play is likely to give him confidence heading into The Senior Open, which starts on 24th July.

Westwood and Leonard are not the only ones who benefited from The Open Championship. Harris English, who finished second in the tournament, saw his OWGR position improve dramatically, moving from 19th to 8th, marking his highest ever position. Dustin Johnson, who plays on the LIV Golf League, also made a significant move, jumping from 969th to 571st in the OWGR. Henrik Stenson, a teammate of Westwood's on the LIV Golf League, also saw his ranking improve, moving up 680 spots to 969th. Sergio Garcia also made a notable jump, moving from 467th to 370th in the OWGR.

In the world rankings, Scottie Scheffler remains the World No.1, and he moved three-quarters of the way towards the Career Grand Slam by winning The 153rd Open Championship.

Looking ahead, both Westwood and Leonard will have opportunities to earn OWGR points at upcoming tournaments. Westwood will be teeing it up at LIV Golf UK at the JCB Golf & Country Club on the 25th July, while no specific upcoming event featuring both players for OWGR points is identified in the provided data. The next major listed is The 154th Open Championship, scheduled for July 2026, but no information confirms their participation there.

Two golfers, Lee Westwood and Justin Leonard, experienced unprecedented improvements in the global golf rankings, vaulting a remarkable 3,200 positions following their impressive performances at the Open Championship.