PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Four players have a chance to overtake Tiger Woods’ No. 1 world golf ranking at The Players Championship this week at TPC Sawgrass.
- Adam Scott, currently ranked No. 2, can become No. 1 with a tie for 16th or better.
-  Henrik Stenson, No. 3, needs a two-way tie for sixth or better.
-  Bubba Watson, No. 4, needs a solo runner-up finish or a win.
-  Matt Kuchar, No. 5, needs a win.
Quirky and fascinating factoid: If Scott did not play this week, he would have taken over the No. 1 ranking thanks to some complicated intricacy in the ranking points system.
“That’s a bit odd, but it’s a complicated system,’’ Scott, who won the 2004 Players Championship, said Wednesday. “I think that the rankings are pretty fair overall is my view on that, and obviously playing The Players means more to me than sitting at home just to get to a No. 1 world ranking.’’
Scott, more than the other three players, has had the chance to overtake Woods all year and has failed to do so.
“I hope I’m keeping myself in a similar kind of position for a while,’’ he said. “Wins take care of all the rankings and all the questions and I’m really focused on getting myself in contention this week. It’s an important event and it’s been a focus of mine from the start of the year, once you get through the Masters, then you got to get your head into thinking about The Players. So hopefully I’ll take care of it this week and you won’t have to ask me anymore.’’
Kuchar, who won the 2012 Players, called the tight race for No. 1 “a cool thing about the game of golf at the moment.’’
“That title is a pretty impressive title,’’ he said. “To be No. 1 in the world at anything is amazing. To have a chance to be No. 1 in the world in the game of golf, I think all of us that play have those dreams. I think all of us that are out here dream of being No. 1. That’s cool to have that chance right now.’’
The Players Championship has changed its playoff format this year, going away from a sudden-death scenario, starting on the par-3 17th hole and going to a three-hole aggregate, on 16, 17 and 18. In previous years, Sergio Garcia and K.J. Choi have won the tournament on the iconic 17th and its island green.
“I always like having more holes — especially at big tournaments — rather than leaving things for chance on one hole,’’ Phil Mickelson said. “My favorite is the 18-hole playoff in a U.S. Open.’’
Kuchar called it a “good change,’’ adding, “That’s what we all think about those finishing three holes.’’