Scotland is known as the birthplace of the sport of golf. “The Royal and Ancient” at St. Andrew's is where it all began. While it might feel like women have only been part of the sport in recent history, the game's origins in Scotland centered around a female player who was rather well known– Mary Queen of Scots!

The following is a list of golfers who have been top of the Official World Golf Ranking (originally known as the Sony Ranking), since the rankings started on April 6, 1986. As of May 19, 2024, Scottie Scheffler is the number one ranked golfer.

Golf originated from a game played on the eastern coast of Scotland, in an area close to the royal capital of Edinburgh. In those early days players would attempt to hit a pebble over sand dunes and around tracks using a bent stick or club.

Thomas Mitchell Morris (16 June 1821 – 24 May 1908), otherwise known as Old Tom Morris, and The Grand Old Man of Golf, was a Scottish golfer.