Scott's stay at the top of the World Golf Rankings could be short-lived if Sweden's Henrik Stenson puts on a show at this week's BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in England.
The cross-Atlantic battle could see Stenson claim top spot if he finishes higher at Wentworth than Scott does at the Crowne Plaza Invitational in Fort Worth, Texas. The BMW PGA Championship is the European Tour's flagship event and carries bonus world ranking points.
Stenson is currently world number 3.
Scott claimed the top ranking last week for the first time in his career from Tiger Woods who is out injured and is playing in the PGA Tour event at Colonial Country Club in Texas.
Stenson won twice in the US and in Dubai in 2013 giving him the FedEx Cup and the European Tour’s Race to Dubai award.
“It is definitely there,” Stenson told reporters.
“I haven’t given it too much thought. I have been trying to work on my game and get back in good shape because I know if I get my game to where I want to have it that is definitely an achievable thing in the future.
“If I were to become number one now it is not because of the first three or four months of the season. It is mainly because of what I did last year.”
Stenson received the European Players’ Player of the Year Award at a ceremony in London on Tuesday night.