Golf – World Rankings:Less than 12 months after securing back-to-back major wins at the British Open and US PGA Championship, Pádraig Harrington has been hit with a harsh reality check as his recent poor form and too many missed cuts means the Dubliner has dropped out of the world's top 10.
Harrington is renowned as one of the hardest working players on tour as he and Vijay Singh - the proverbial range rats - have been known to close their share of practice grounds at the day’s end in their time.
Since last year’s dream month, where Harrington successfully defended the Open at Birkdale before following up with the PGA win at Oakland Hills, the 37-year-old has been “tinkering” with his swing.
The end result has not been a good one thus far for he has struggled to regain those dizzy heights from last year. Harrington’s missed cut at the Memorial at the weekend was his third in four starts and has failed to record a single top 10 finish since January.
Harrington dropped to 11th in the latest world rankings and was overtaken by Jim Furyk, who returns to the top 10. The American finished second behind Tiger Woods, who claimed his 67th PGA Tour win at the Jack-Nicklaus Muirfield Village Golf Club in Ohio to cement his place at the top of the world standings.
Woods widened the gap over Phil Mickelson in second with his one-shot victory in Ohio where he eagled the 11th before adding two unlikely closing birdies. Mickelson has taken time away from the game after his wife Amy was recently diagnosed with cancer.
Elsewhere Denmark’s Jeppe Huldahl was the surprise winner of the Celtic Manor Wales Open on the European Tour, ensuring a massive jump of 377 place to 202nd in the world.
Huldahl has never had a top 10 finish from his previous 44 starts on the European Tour. He also became the tour's ninth first-time winner of the season along with the likes of Shane Lowry, who won last month’s Irish Open when competing as an amateur.
Despite a week off Rory McIlroy maintained his position inside the top 20 at 17th place, while Graeme McDowell is still inside the top 50 at 48th. Darren Clarke is right on the button at 100th, while Paul McGinley will rue his poor finish in Wales yesterday as he is still way down the rankings at 183rd.
Latest world rankings:
1 Tiger Woods 10.51pts
2 Phil Mickelson 8.14
3 Paul Casey 6.94
4 Sergio Garcia 6.54
5 Geoff Ogilvy 6.17
6 Henrik Stenson 5.98
7 Kenny Perry 5.62
8 Steve Stricker 5.50
9 Vijay Singh 5.12
10 Jim Furyk 5.02
11 Pádraig Harrington 4.97
12 Camilo Villegas 4.80
13 Sean O'Hair 4.43
14 Robert Karlsson 4.42
15 Anthony Kim 3.91
16 Ernie Els 3.75
17 Rory McIlroy 3.75
18 Ian Poulter 3.71
19 Lee Westwood 3.67
20 Zach Johnson 3.61
Selected others:
48 Graeme McDowell
100 Darren Clarke
123 Gareth Maybin
153 Damien McGrane
163 Michael Hoey
165 Peter Lawrie
170 Shane Lowry
183 Paul McGinley
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