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Rory McIlroy returned to the winner’s circle in a major championship.

His next step might be a return to world No. 1.

McIlroy is one of only two players who have a chance this week to supplant Adam Scott atop the Official World Ranking, according to Golf Channel world-ranking guru Alan Robison.

McIlroy needs 55 points to pass Scott. To do so, he needs to win this week’s WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and have Scott finish outside the top 5. McIlroy was last ranked No. 1 in March 2013, but he had fallen outside the top 10 as recently as May.

Also with a (remote) chance this week: Henrik Stenson, who needs 73 points. He will rise to No. 1 for the first time if he wins at Firestone and Scott finishes outside the top 40 in the no-cut event. 

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Jim Furyk’s runner-up finish Sunday at the RBC Canadian Open helped him secure an already solid standing in the U.S. team’s Ryder Cup points, while Graeme McDowell inched closer to a European team nod.

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How did Tiger Woods recover from his worst 72-hole finish in a major? By going on vacation with his kids and girlfriend Lindsey Vonn.

“We toured a little bit and even played a little putt-putt, which I won every single time,” he said Monday on a video conference promoting the upcoming Deutsche Bank Championship, the FedEx Cup playoff event that benefits his foundation.

Woods also opted for some R&R after he missed the cut at the Quicken Loans National. Cynics will read those remarks and wonder why Woods wasn’t grinding on the range to improve, or assume that his desire to be great has vanished.   

Not so, he says. 

When asked Monday what keeps the competitive juices flowing after all of these years in the spotlight, he replied, “Winning more. I thoroughly enjoy that. That’s why I played from a very young age. … To me the satisfaction of that, being able to prepare and be able to go out there and get it done, it does feel good. I haven’t lost that. I certainly don’t foresee that ever happening.

“I’ve got a little 5-year-old right now (Charlie) that is really pushing me pretty hard. He wants to beat me in everything. That said, I was able to kick his butt in putt-putt. I’ve shown him how to get it done.”

This is an important stretch for Woods, beginning with this week’s WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, where he is the defending champion and an eight-time winner.

The former world No. 1 likely has to average at least a top-3 finish at Firestone and next week at Valhalla just to reach the FedEx Cup playoffs. He was in a similar situation in 2011, after missing nearly three months with various injuries, and he wound up outside the top-125 bubble. 

“Hopefully I can do a little better than I did last time,” he said.

Making matters even more pressing is the Ryder Cup. At No. 70 in points, Woods cannot move inside the top 9 and qualify for the team automatically, but a few encouraging performances might be enough to convince captain Tom Watson to burn one of his three wild-card picks on him, similar to what Corey Pavin did in 2010.  

“In the end it’s what can you do for your team?” Woods said. “Are you able to contribute?”

That much is still unclear, however, after Woods shot rounds of 69-77-73-75 to finish 69^th at the Open Championship – 23 shots behind winner Rory McIlroy. 

A five-time winner and PGA Tour Player of the Year last season, Woods was plagued by a back injury earlier this season, went under the knife March 31, missed two majors and is now all the way down to 10^th in the world.

With the consistency of Adam Scott at the top, and the reemergence of three-time major winner Rory McIlroy, many men with a microphone – including Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee – have suggested that there is a new world order, that the so-called Tiger Era is over.

Not surprisingly, Woods isn’t buying that talk.

“Unfortunately I’ve had my share of breakdowns,” he said of his injuries. “I’ve had to rehab and I’ve had to come back. And through all the years I’ve been able to do that.” 

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Rory McIlroy’s ball that he used during the final round of his convincing Open Championship win earlier this month has been put up for auction by golf auction house Green Jacket Auctions.

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This could be the most hotly contested Ryder Cup ever – and we’re talking about just making the team.

So, each Monday, GolfChannel.com will take a look at the players who are vying for one of the 12 spots on the team. Nine players make the squad via their respective points list, and both captain Tom Watson and Paul McGinley will have three wild-card picks apiece.

AMERICANS

The current top 12: 

1. Bubba Watson, 6,828

2. Jim Furyk, 5,875

3. Jimmy Walker, 5,510

4. Rickie Fowler, 5,403

5. Dustin Johnson, 5,133

6. Matt Kuchar, 4,999

7. Jordan Spieth, 4,781

8. Jason Dufner, 3,516

9. Zach Johnson, 3,450

10. Patrick Reed, 3,301

11. Phil Mickelson, 3,252

12. Brendon Todd, 3,250 

Notes:

• Jim Furyk may be 0-for-his-last-7 when it comes to holding on to 54-hole leads, but with his runner-up in Canada the 44-year-old locked up a spot on the Ryder Cup team. Last year’s Presidents Cup ended a run of 15 consecutive team competitions played. His career record in the Ryder Cup: 9-17-4. 

• There are only two more weeks to qualify for the U.S. team based on points, and the top seven players seem like good bets to make the team, barring the double whammy of poor play and victories by those just outside the top-9 cutoff.

• This is an important two-week stretch for both Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods, who are Nos. 11 and 70, respectively. As it stands right now, both would require a pick by Watson. He only has three picks.

EUROPEANS

European Points List (top 4 qualify)

1. Rory McIlroy, 3,051,298

2. Victor Dubuisson, 2,631,723

3. Jamie Donaldson, 2,398,823

4. Henrik Stenson, 2,393,503

5. Thomas Bjorn, 2,351,204

6. Martin Kaymer, 1,968,602

7. Ian Poulter, 1,910,151

8. Justin Rose, 1,846,094

9. Sergio Garcia, 1,835,656

10. Joost Luiten, 1,568,079

World Points List (top 5) 

1. Rory McIlroy, 358

2. Henrik Stenson, 346

3. Sergio Garcia, 317

4. Justin Rose, 261

5. Martin Kaymer, 245

6. Thomas Bjorn, 193

7. Victor Dubuisson, 186

8. Luke Donald, 162

9. Jamie Donaldson, 162

10. Graeme McDowell, 155

Notes: 

• Graeme McDowell may be No. 10 on the World Points List, but he’s made it awfully difficult for McGinley to overlook him. G-Mac’s T-9 finish in Canada was his fourth top 10 in a row, which includes a come-from-behind win at the French Open.   

• After Bernhard Langer’s blowout victory at the Senior British Open, there has been some debate as to whether the 56-year-old warrants a spot on the team. No doubt he is playing incredible golf at the moment, but let’s end the talk here. Among those players who would currently need a pick in order to make the team: Luke Donald, McDowell, Ian Poulter, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Francesco Molinari and Lee Westwood. There is too much depth to make a sympathetic choice. 

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This could be the most hotly contested Ryder Cup ever – and we’re talking about just making the team.

So, each Monday, GolfChannel.com will take a look at the players who are vying for one of the 12 spots on the team. Nine players make the squad via their respective points list, and both captain Tom Watson and Paul McGinley will have three wild-card picks apiece.

AMERICANS

The current top 12: 

1. Bubba Watson, 6,828

2. Jim Furyk, 5,875

3. Jimmy Walker, 5,510

4. Rickie Fowler, 5,403

5. Dustin Johnson, 5,133

6. Matt Kuchar, 4,999

7. Jordan Spieth, 4,781

8. Jason Dufner, 3,516

9. Zach Johnson, 3,450

10. Patrick Reed, 3,301

11. Phil Mickelson, 3,252

12. Brendon Todd, 3,250 

Notes:

• Jim Furyk may be 0-for-his-last-7 when it comes to holding on to 54-hole leads, but with his runner-up in Canada the 44-year-old locked up a spot on the Ryder Cup team. Last year’s Presidents Cup ended a run of 15 consecutive team competitions played. His career record in the Ryder Cup: 9-17-4. 

• There are only two more weeks to qualify for the U.S. team based on points, and the top seven players seem like good bets to make the team, barring the double whammy of poor play and victories by those just outside the top-9 cutoff.

• This is an important two-week stretch for both Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods, who are Nos. 11 and 70, respectively. As it stands right now, both would require a pick by Watson. He only has three picks.

EUROPEANS

European Points List (top 4 qualify)

1. Rory McIlroy, 3,051,298

2. Victor Dubuisson, 2,631,723

3. Jamie Donaldson, 2,398,823

4. Henrik Stenson, 2,393,503

5. Thomas Bjorn, 2,351,204

6. Martin Kaymer, 1,968,602

7. Ian Poulter, 1,910,151

8. Justin Rose, 1,846,094

9. Sergio Garcia, 1,835,656

10. Joost Luiten, 1,568,079

World Points List (top 5) 

1. Rory McIlroy, 358

2. Henrik Stenson, 346

3. Sergio Garcia, 317

4. Justin Rose, 261

5. Martin Kaymer, 245

6. Thomas Bjorn, 193

7. Victor Dubuisson, 186

8. Luke Donald, 162

9. Jamie Donaldson, 162

10. Graeme McDowell, 155

Notes: 

• Graeme McDowell may be No. 10 on the World Points List, but he’s made it awfully difficult for McGinley to overlook him. G-Mac’s T-9 finish in Canada was his fourth top 10 in a row, which includes a come-from-behind win at the French Open.   

• After Bernhard Langer’s blowout victory at the Senior British Open, there has been some debate as to whether the 56-year-old warrants a spot on the team. No doubt he is playing incredible golf at the moment, but let’s end the talk here. Among those players who would currently need a pick in order to make the team: Luke Donald, McDowell, Ian Poulter, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Francesco Molinari and Lee Westwood. There is too much depth to make a sympathetic choice. 

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Tim Clark’s recent string of good play netted him his second career PGA Tour title Sunday – and a huge move in the Official World Ranking.

Clark, who erased a three-shot deficit to win the RBC Canadian Open, moved from No. 153 to No. 75 in the latest world rankings, released Monday. It was the diminutive South African’s fourth top-25 finish in his last seven starts, and second top 5 in a row.

The runner-up (once again) was Jim Furyk, whose final-round 69 wasn’t enough to hold on for the victory. It was his seventh consecutive blown 54-hole lead.

Though he’s still winless since late 2010, the 44-year-old has now finished runner-up three times this season and posted four other top 10s. His world ranking – now No. 8, up from 10^th – is his highest since January 2011. 

Furyk’s rise bumped Tiger Woods down another spot, to No. 10. He hasn’t been ranked outside the top 10 in the world since March 2012, before he won the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Here is the top 10 in the world heading into the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational: Adam Scott, Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia, Matt Kuchar, Bubba Watson, Jim Furyk, Jason Day, Tiger Woods.

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Open Champion Rory McIlroy will lead the 33 European Tour Members to this week’s WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, where he will be looking to add a maiden WGC title to his three Major wins.

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After tying the course record, Jim Furyk now finds his name atop the leaderboard as he looks to win the RBC Canadian Open for the third time since 2006. Here’s how things stand after two rounds in Montreal, where Furyk shares the lead with overnight co-leader Tim Petrovic:

Leaderboard: Jim Furyk (-10), Tim Petrovic (-10), Graham DeLaet (-8), Kyle Stanley (-8), Graeme McDowell (-7), Scott Brown (-7), Justin Hicks (-7), Andrew Svoboda (-7)

What it means: Furyk won this event in back-to-back years in 2006 and 2007, and the veteran is again in the mix after tying the Royal Montreal course record with a 7-under 63. He’s tied with Petrovic, who is in search of his first PGA Tour win since 2005, with a number of big names still within four shots of the lead.

Round of the day: Furyk began off the back nine and reeled off four straight birdies on Nos. 11-15 to get his round heading in the right direction. After a solo fourth-place finish at the Open Championship, he is again playing well and added three more birdies on his second nine to complete a bogey-free effort at Royal Montreal.

Best of the rest: Playing alongside Furyk, DeLaet also grabbed a share of the course record with a 7-under 63. He carded nine birdies against two bogeys, surging into contention as he looks to become the first Canadian to win his national Open since Pat Fletcher in 1954.

Biggest disappointment: Last year, Hunter Mahan held the 36-hole lead at Glen Abbey before withdrawing for the birth of his first child. This time around, he’s again headed home after two rounds, as Mahan followed his opening 68 with a disappointing 75, a round that included four bogeys in a row on Nos. 2-5 and caused Mahan to miss the cut by three shots.

Main storyline heading into Saturday: Furyk has certainly been in this position before, but the burden of trying to break out of a winless drought that dates back to September 2010 has weighed on him in tournaments past. DeLaet will certainly have significant crowd support in Quebec, but veterans like McDowell and Matt Kuchar (-6) cannot be overlooked.

Shot of the day: Furyk opened with a par on the 10th hole, then was facing a 50-foot birdie putt on No. 11. When that lengthy effort found the bottom of the hole, it sparked him to a run of four straight birdies en route to a record-tying performance.

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Tim Petrovic was the last player added to the field this week at the RBC Canadian Open, but he’s making the most of his opportunity. Here’s how things look after the first round at Royal Montreal, where Petrovic and Michael Putnam share the lead:

Leaderboard: Tim Petrovic (-6), Michael Putnam (-6), Taylor Pendrith (a) (-5), Kyle Stanley (-5), Nick Watney (-4), Charl Schwartzel (-4), Robert Allenby (-4), Charlie Wi (-4), Bo Van Pelt (-4)

What it means: Petrovic began the week as the seventh alternate, and became the final alternate to make the field in Canada after Benjamin Alvarado withdrew earlier in the week. He now finds his name atop the standings after Round 1, tied with Putnam who was the leading money-winner last year on the Web.com Tour.

Round of the day: Petrovic got off to a fast start, with birdies on three of his first four holes, and the 47-year-old made the turn in 4-under 31. The veteran added an eagle on the par-5 12th and failed to drop a shot all day, putting himself firmly in contention as he looks to win on the PGA Tour for the first time since 2005.

Best of the rest: Putnam thrived last year on the Web.com Tour, and while his PGA Tour debut has been solid he still is in search of his first top-10 finish. That drought may end this week, as Putnam opened with a bogey-free 64 that included three three birdies in a four-hole stretch from Nos. 2-5. As a result, he holds a share of the lead on the main circuit for the first time.

Biggest disappointment: Dustin Johnson was one of several big names to make the trek to Canada after last week’s Open Championship, but he appears to have left his game in England. Johnson’s round got derailed by a three-hole stretch of 4 over from Nos. 12-14, and the veteran recorded only two birdies all day. After a 4-over 74, he seems to be halfway toward an early return to the States.

Main storyline heading into Friday: While veterans like Schwartzel and Jim Furyk (67) are still very much in the mix, the player to watch in the second round will be Pendrith, an amateur who earned low Canadian honors with his opening-round 65 that was capped by a birdie on the 18th hole. Having just recently graduated from Kent State, the 23-year-old has gone from unknown to a spot on the leaderboard after one round in Montreal.

Shot of the day: The 11th was the hardest hole at Royal Montreal Thursday, but Graeme McDowell had no issues with it. McDowell holed a hybrid from 213 yards for an unexpected eagle, propelling the Ulsterman to an opening-round score of 2-under 68.

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