World Rankings: Denmark's Anders Hansen can look forward to a Masters debut at Augusta in April after clinging on to 50th spot in the world rankings today by just 0.01 points.
With no more ranking events to come this year Swedes Henrik Stenson and Robert Karlsson, Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez and Hansen's compatriot Soren Hansen also clinched places in the first major of next year by being in the world's top 50 at the end of 2007.
Robert Allenby had the chance to push Anders Hansen out of the top 50 when he shared the lead with a round to go in the Australian Open on Sunday, but a closing 75 dropped him to 11th place and down to 51st in the rankings.
Other Europeans already in the Masters field are Paul Casey, Luke Donald, Nick Dougherty, Niclas Fasth, Sergio Garcia, Padraig Harrington, Bernhard Langer, Sandy Lyle, Jose Maria Olazabal, Ian Poulter, Justin Rose and Ian Woosnam.
Notably absent from that list is Colin Montgomerie, who has fallen from 17th to 57th in the world this year. He can still make it to Augusta by getting back into the top 50 the week before the tournament - or by winning a US Tour event.
Tiger Woods, who began 2007 with a lead of 11.53 points over Jim Furyk, closes it 10.9 points clear of Phil Mickelson. That would have been an even bigger gap but for the fact that his seven-stroke victory in the Target World Challenge at the weekend - his first event since September - did not count towards the rankings.
Woods has won five of his last six events and eight out of 18 during the year.
End-of-year positions on world rankings
(figures in brackets indicate position at start of 2007):
1 (1) Tiger Woods 19.62pts
2 (3) Phil Mickelson 8.72
3 (2) Jim Furyk 6.55,
4 (5) Ernie Els 6.51
5 (63) Steve Stricker 6.45
6 (51) Justin Rose 6.00
7 (4) Adam Scott 5.81
8 (8) Padraig Harrington 5.57
9 (29) KJ Choi 5.15
10 (7) Vijay Singh 5.08
11 (39) Rory Sabbatini 4.96
12 (11) Sergio Garcia 4.78
13 (10) Geoff Ogilvy 4.65
14 (28) Angel Cabrera 4.46
15 (54) Zach Johnson 4.17
16 (12) Henrik Stenson 4.06
17 (9) Luke Donald 3.95
18 (87) Aaron Baddeley 3.94
19 (13) Trevor Immelman 3.78
20 (42) Niclas Fasth 3.43
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