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Chasing No. 1? Not really: Rory has his own goals

SAN DIEGO – When Rory McIlroy missed the cut last July at The Open it was easily the emotional low of his season and about as far as he could imagine from his professional goals.

“[The world’s top ranking] wasn't on the radar when I was flying back from Northern Ireland in July,” McIlroy said Wednesday at the Farmers Insurance Open.

Although he was ranked third in the world at that time it might as well have been 30th considering the lead (1.97 average ranking points) Brooks Koepka had over the Northern Irishman. But that landscape has changed dramatically since Royal Portrush, and McIlroy begins this week’s event with a chance to overtake Koepka atop the ranking with victory at Torrey Pines.