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Tiger Woods has held the number one world ranking for a record 270 consecutive events.  While Tiger is the 9/2 favorite at this week’s WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, Phil Mickelson (10/1) and Lee Westwood (14/1) both have a chance to wrest the top ranking away from Tiger.  For Westwood, ranked #3 in the world, only a victory this weekend will do, and he’ll need Tiger to finish worse than a two-way tie for second. Westwood and Woods will be paired together in the first two rounds Thursday and Friday.

Mickelson, who’ll be paired with Rory McIlroy the first two days, has an easier path to the number one ranking.  Mickelson can take the top ranking with a victory regardless of Tiger’s finish.  Depending on how Westwood and Tiger finish, Mickelson could also finish as low as fourth and still take over at number one.

Tiger first gained the top world ranking in 1998, and since then, only two other golfers have taken it from him — Vijay Singh and David Duval.  Mickelson claims he’d love the top ranking, but it’s not a priority for him:

It would be a very important thing, but again, it’s not something I’m focusing on as I am trying to get my game sharp for these upcoming events as well as the playoffs.

The world’s top lefthanded golfer isn’t exactly overflowing with confidence based on his recent performances.  ““I don’t know exactly where my game is,” Mickelson said. “I haven’t really played great golf in six or seven weeks.”