Tiger Woods out of top 20 for first time in 14 years

Tiger Woods, expected to announce later this week that he is returning to action at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational on Thursday week, is out of the world's top 20 for the first time since January 1997.

The man who held the number one spot for more than 11 years in 10 different spells has not played since 12 May because of knee and Achilles tendon injuries. He has dropped from eighth to 21st in the rankings in that time and last Wednesday announced on his website that he will not have New Zealand caddie Steve Williams by his side on his return.

"I think it's time for a change," he said without naming a replacement.

In a television interview in his home country Williams, who was with Woods for 13 of his 14 major wins revealed his shock at the decision

"You could say I've wasted the last two years of my life," he said. "I've stuck with Tiger and been incredibly loyal. I'm not disappointed I've been fired - that's part of the job - but the timing is extraordinary."

Referring to the sex scandal involving Woods that rocked sport at the end of 2009, Williams also stated: "I, along with a lot of people, lost a lot of respect for Tiger.

"I pointed out before his return at The Masters at Augusta in 2010 that he had to earn back my respect."

Meanwhile, Sergio Garcia has earned a place in next week's world championship by keeping his place in the game's top 50. Back to form with two successive top-10 finishes in majors and a play-off defeat in Germany in between, Garcia is 48th going into this week's Greenbrier Classic in West Virginia.

Alex Noren's runaway win in Sweden moved him up from 92nd to 70th, but he already had a place in Akron thanks to his Wales Open victory last month.

The best-ranked Scot, and the only one in the top 100, is US-based Martin Laird at 27.