The numbers game is becoming ever more significant to Graeme McDowell on two fronts. With the release of yesterday's latest world rankings, the 25-year-old Northern Irishman has moved to a career high 51st position and edged ever closer to his early-season aim of getting into the world's top 50.

If he does so by March 21st, he will earn a place in the Players' Championship and, if he is in the top 50 after Sawgrass, he will get a prized invite to the US Masters.

So, for McDowell, a non-exempt member of the US Tour, there's much to play for as he seeks sponsors' invites stateside in his quest to achieve those targets. With his first scheduled appearance of the year in Europe not due to take place until early May when he defends his Italian Open title, McDowell is relying on his upwardly mobile profile as one of the game's rising stars to claim invitations into events on the US Tour and consequently improve his world ranking.

The cut-off point for meeting the criteria for a place in the $8 million Players' Championship at Sawgrass is March 21st, the day after the Bay Hill Invitational in Orlando. Anyone in the world's top 50 at that juncture not already qualified will get a place in the field.

As things stand, the odds on McDowell getting an invite into the field for Bay Hill and the previous week's Honda Classic appear reasonable, although he has provisionally entered for the Qatar Masters (the same week as the Honda) as a back-up plan in case the sponsors' exemptions fail to materialise.

Getting into the fields for the Players' and the Masters would be recognition of McDowell's progress, and ultimately the graduate of the University of Alabama - where he was the number one ranked collegiate golfer in the US - wants to be based on the US Tour.

"If you play well, you get into the big events, and to me this is what it is all about, (playing in) the majors, the world golf championships and playing against these guys over in the States.

"It's where I want to be in the future. I'm starting to get a taste of the kind of schedule I want to play," said McDowell, who is second behind Colin Montgomerie in the non-exempt members' money list on the US Tour.

While McDowell's immediate plans are focused on the US, that return to Europe in May for the defence of the Italian Open starts a stretch of tournaments that will also include the British Masters, the Nissan Irish Open and the BMW Championship. "I'm still looking to have a really good finish in the European Tour Order of Merit," said McDowell, "and to obviously keep climbing in the world rankings, (getting) in the top 30 would be a goal at the end of the season.

"And I'm willing to try to get a good finish in a major. I've had a couple of years to settle down and get the feel for them. I'm going to be starting to contend and get myself in position for the weekend.That's the kind of stuff I'm looking forward to doing this year."

McDowell had hoped to get an invite to this week's Ford Championship at Doral, but that didn't materialise so his next outing in the US is expected to be in the Honda Classic.

Padraig Harrington, though, is playing in the Ford Championship which has attracted a stellar field with Vijay Singh, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Retief Goosen also competing.

David Toms, the winner of the Accenture Matchplay, is also hoping to continue his rich form. His win in La Costa was his third top 10 finish in five starts this season and moved him back into the world's top 10 and to second behind Mickelson on the US Tour money list.

"This is by far the best I've ever done at this stage of the year," said Toms. "So I can only use that as a stepping stone to hopefully do something special this year and get up there high on the money list. I really feel like I can build on this win and do something really good, special this year."

His goal is to be among the top 10 players in the world every year, so Sunday's return was a welcome development. But Toms feels a lack of length holds him back from climbing into the upper echelon with the Vijay Singhs of the world. "To be honest my desire is to be a top 10 player every year . . . (but) as far as (becoming) a top five player, I feel like I have limitations. Year in and year out, week after week, there are a handful of guys that are just better than I am."

Ian Poulter's fourth-place finish in the Accenture moved him up nine places to a career high 32nd in the latest world rankings and, like McDowell, he feels drawn to play even more tournaments in the US.

"I just think the way it's worked out, you've got a few more Europeans getting themselves into the world's top 50. And what that does, it just opens the door to come over and play a few more events here in America (while) still supporting the European Tour. We just want to win, and I think European guys are getting stronger and stronger. We really play well as a team, and we want to win as many golf tournaments as we can. Personally, I think I'm ready to win," said Poulter, who is in the field at Doral.

Qualifying for the richest first prize in golf - the 2005 HSBC World Matchplay Championship which takes place at Wentworth in September - begins at this week's Dubai Desert Classic. It is one of four tournaments counting towards the HSBC European Tournaments Ranking. The top two European Tour players not otherwise qualified, who accumulate the most world ranking points at the Dubai Desert Classic, the Johnnie Walker Classic, the BMW Championship and the Smurfit European Open get into the world matchplay.

World number three Ernie Els is the top ranked player in the field for the Desert Classic at the Emirates club, starting on Thursday. Paul McGinley, Gary Murphy, Peter Lawrie and Damien McGrane comprise the Irish challenge.

Meanwhile, David Higgins lost a first hole play-off to Argentina's Cesar Monasterio in the Guatemala Open on the European Challenge Tour after both players finished on 19-under-par 269. Monasterio took his maiden win and the top prize of €15,296 but Higgins has moved up to fifth - one spot behind Michael Hoey - in the latest Challenge Tour Order of Merit.

Irish places on European Tour money list: 11th P Harrington 138,429; 27th G McDowell 85,805; 35th P Lawrie 59,578; 37th D Clarke 54,495; 38th D McGrane €52,802; 42nd P McGinley 43,456; 147th S Browne 6,196; 152nd G Murphy 4,999.