Golf:Portrush golfer Graeme McDowell has moved to a career high fifth in the world rankings. It rounds off a spectacular year and, indeed, week, in which the US Open winner was awarded an MBE and picked up the RTE Sportsperson of the Year award.
Lee Westwood remains top of the pile, ahead of Tiger Woods, with Martin Kaymer and Phil Mickelson separating them from McDowell.
His fellow Ulsterman and close friend Rory McIlroy remains in tenth place behind England’s Paul Casey and Luke Donald, but marginally ahead of Ian Poulter.
Pádraig Harrington, however, drops a further two places to 25th.
World Rankings
1 (1) Lee Westwood (Britain) 9.10 average points
2 (2) Tiger Woods 7.69
3 (3) Martin Kaymer (Germany) 7.15
4 (4) Phil Mickelson 6.55
5 (6) Graeme McDowell (Irl) 6.11
6 (5) Jim Furyk 6.10
7 (7) Steve Stricker 5.97
8 (8) Paul Casey (Britain) 5.77
9 (9) Luke Donald (Britain) 5.57
10 (10) Rory McIlroy (Irl) 5.50
11 (11) Ian Poulter (Britain) 5.48
12 (12) Ernie Els (South Africa) 5.47
13 (13) Matt Kuchar 4.68
14 (16) Retief Goosen (South Africa) 4.45
15 (14) Dustin Johnson 4.44
16 (15) Francesco Molinari (Italy) 4.35
17 (17) Robert Karlsson (Sweden) 4.30
18 (18) Edoardo Molinari (Italy) 4.08
19 (19) Hunter Mahan 3.97
20 (21) Robert Allenby (Australia) 3.69
