Golf News Countdown Runners and RydersVijay Singh, the game's hottest player over the last eight months, has closed the gap on world number one Tiger Woods in the rankings following his victory at the New Orleans Classic.
The Fijian, who moved to second in the pecking order last October, has inched to within 2.14 points of Woods, the narrowest margin between the American and the second-ranked player since the standings were revamped in September 2001.
Singh fired a closing nine-under-par 63 to win by one shot in New Orleans on Monday, capping a dramatic comeback with a birdie on the 18th hole to clinch his third title of the year and his second in a fortnight.
The 40-year-old, who last year ended Woods' four-year reign as the PGA Tour's leading money-winner, has replaced US Masters champion Phil Mickelson at the top of the money list with $4,267,866 from 12 tournaments.
Singh has won five times in his last 17 tour starts in the US.
Woods, who has not played since finishing tied for 22nd at Augusta last month, remained world number one for a record 247th consecutive week, and 317th week overall.
The 28-year-old is just 14 weeks short of Greg Norman's 331 weeks in top spot, the record since the official rankings were introduced in 1986.
In the only changes this week to the world's top 10, Mickelson replaced fellow left-hander Mike Weir at number five.
Mickelson carded a final-round 66 to share second place at the New Orleans Classic and moved up one spot in the rankings.
Triple major winner Ernie Els stayed at three and Davis Love at four, while Weir slipped to six.
The PGA of Europe is to receive a portion of Ryder Cup profits from 2006, an official said yesterday. The sum hoped for is at least €750,000.
In the past, proceeds from the European share of the profits have been split equally between the Britain-based Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) and the European Tour.
But from 2006, when the tournament comes here to Ireland, the PGA of Europe will receive 20 per cent, with 20 per cent going to the PGA and the remaining 60 per cent to the European Tour.
"This change has come about after canvassing by countries such as 2006 hosts Ireland, Italy, Germany, France and Sweden, all of whom have provided Ryder Cup players," PGA chief executive Sandy Jones said.
The 2006 Ryder Cup will take place from September 22nd-24th over the K Club's North Course in Straffan. This year's event is at Oakland Hills, Michigan, from September 17th-19th.
European team stalwart Colin Montgomerie, who has slipped to 45th in the world, will be notable by his absence when today's pro-am for the British Masters takes place at the Forest of Arden near Coventry.
Less than a week after announcing that he and his wife, Eimear, were separating and planning to divorce, the Ryder Cup star has been given permission by the European Tour to miss the celebrity-packed pro-am.
"This has been a desperately difficult decision for us both and is a painful time for the family," said the couple in their statement, before asking for privacy and dismissing media speculation that had linked Eimear with actor Hugh Grant, Montgomerie's pro-am partner in the Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland last October.
The first European Tour event in Britain this year is also Montgomerie's first event since he missed the cut in the Masters. It was his fifth early exit in the last six major championships.
The 40-year-old was due to play in China last week, but after making the trip to the Far East for some course design work he headed home again.
Now he is about to find out just how big an effect the break-up of his marriage could have on his golf. Three years ago he revealed in his autobiography the huge strain his pursuit of success had put on his domestic life.
He does not really need to see the Forest of Arden lay-out before tomorrow's first round.
The course is not only where Montgomerie won the British Masters in 1998, but also the venue for his 1994 victory in the English Open.
It is the start of an important run which Montgomerie hopes will end with him earning exemptions for both next month's US Open and the British Open in July at his home club, Royal Troon.
His name does not appear on the exempt list for either at the moment. But if he is in the top 50 in the world rankings at the end of the month he does not have to worry about qualifying.
Today's pro-am features a host of sporting stars, and an 11-year-old Scot who has already made her mark in golf.
Tiny Perthshire schoolgirl Carly Booth, only 5ft 2in and under seven stones, plays off a handicap of four, is champion at three Scottish clubs and has already represented her country.
She will be partnering former British Open and Masters champion Sandy Lyle in a field which also includes pop star Ronan Keating and a trio of Irish jockeys, Tony McCoy, Mick Fitzgerald and Kieren Fallon.
WORLD RANKINGS
(Previous ranking in brackets)
1. (1) Tiger Woods (US) 12.96 pts avg
2. (2) Vijay Singh (Fiji) 10.82
3. (3) Ernie Els (South Africa) 9.54
4. (4) Davis Love (US) 8.53
5. (6) Phil Mickelson (US) 7.46
6. (5) Mike Weir (Canada) 7.03
7. (7) Jim Furyk (US) 6.21
8. (8) PADRAIG HARRINGTON (Ireland) 5.48
9. (9) Retief Goosen (South Africa) 5.05
10. (10) Stuart Appleby (Australia) 5.02
11. (11) Kenny Perry (US) 4.99
12. (12) Chad Campbell (US) 4.76
13. (13) Adam Scott (Australia) 4.65
14. (14) DARREN CLARKE (N Ireland) 4.37
15. (15) David Toms (US) 4.26
US PGA MONEY LIST
(Previous week's position in brackets)
1. (2) Vijay Singh (Fiji) $4,267,866
2. (1) Phil Mickelson (US) 3,937,400
3. (3) Stuart Appleby (Australia) 2,090,320
4. (4) Adam Scott (Australia) 2,025,000
5. (5) Davis Love (US) 2,004,093
6. (6) Ernie Els (South Africa) ... 1,951,400
7. (7) Tiger Woods (US) 1,930,050
8. (8) Stewart Cink (US) 1,551,053
9. (9) Jonathan Kaye (US) 1,468,175
10. (10) Mike Weir (Canada) 1,459,480
11. (11) John Daly (US) 1,446,081
12. (12) Chad Campbell (US) 1,347,326
13. (13) Zach Johnson 1,252,189
14. (14) DARREN CLARKE (N Ireland) 1,250,435
15. (15) Scott Verplank (US) 1,223,865
US RYDER CUP STANDINGS
(Previous week's position in brackets)
1. (1) Tiger Woods 1,511.667 pts
2. (2) Phil Mickelson 1,370.250
3. (3) Davis Love 979.107
4. (4) Jim Furyk 789.479
5. (5) Kenny Perry 699.107
6. (6) Chad Campbell 590.000
7. (7) David Toms 545.125
8. (8) Jerry Kelly 498.625
9. (9) Chris Riley 446.786
10. (10) Jonathan Kaye 446.750
11. (11) Jay Haas 430.917
12. (12) Scott Verplank 426.250
13. (13) Chris DiMarco 422.048
14. (14) Fred Funk 411.959
15. (15) Scott Hoch 345.875
Qualification criteria: automatic places will be decided by the 10 players who have earned the most points over a three-year period ending with the US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits from August 12th-15th. Points are doubled for major championships. Points in the first year (2002) are halved, but all points in 2004 are doubled. Team captain Hal Sutton will then add two wildcard selections.
EUROPEAN RYDER CUP STANDINGS
World points list
1. PADRAIG HARRINGTON (Ireland) ... 147.61pts
2. Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain) 124.86
3. DARREN CLARKE (N Ireland)124.07
4. Fredrik Jacobson (Sweden) 110.84
5. Lee Westwood (Eng) 86.64
6. Paul Casey (Eng) 80.12
7. Brian Davis (Eng) 79.44
8. Ian Poulter (Eng) 77.56
9. Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) 76.92
10. Sergio Garcia (Spain) 75.11
11. Raphael Jacquelin (France) 69.63
12. Bernhard Langer (Germany) 63.30
13. Luke Donald (Eng) 54.09
14. Colin Montgomerie 54.05
15. Maarten Lafeber (Netherlands) 53.82
17. PAUL McGINLEY (Ireland) 51.10
European points list
1. Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain) 1,036,846.23
2. Fredrik Jacobson (Sweden) 904,729.53
3. Lee Westwood (Eng) 896,778.81
4. DARREN CLARKE (N Ireland)840,559.12
5. Brian Davis (Eng) 815,425.01
6. Ian Poulter (Eng) 763,310.61
7. PADRAIG HARRINGTON (Ireland) ... 751,388.44
8. Raphael Jacquelin (France) 687,344.43
9. Paul Casey (Eng) 655,045.25
10. Carlos Rodiles (Spain) 583,006.64
11. Maarten Lafeber (Netherlands) 519,314.70
12. Sergio Garcia (Spain) 505,147.60
13. David Howell (Eng) 496,395.76
14. PAUL McGINLEY (Ireland) 461,108.15
15. Joakim Haeggman (Sweden) 436,919.15
19. GRAEME McDOWELL (N Ireland)312,415.58
Leading 10 qualifiers
1. PADRAIG HARRINGTON (Ireland) 147.61
2. Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain) 124.86
3. DARREN CLARKE (Northern Ireland) 124.07
4. Fredrik Jacobson (Sweden) 110.84
5. Lee Westwood (Eng) 86.64
6. Brian Davis (Eng) 815,425.01
7. Ian Poulter (Eng) 763,310.62
8. Raphael Jacquelin (France) 687,344.43
9. Paul Casey (Eng) 655,045.25
10. Carlos Rodiles (Spain) 583,006.64
Qualification criteria: five players will qualify through world rankings points accumulated over the 12-month period ending with the WGC-NEC Invitational at Firestone CC from August 19th-22nd. A further five spots will be decided by the five players who have earned the most European Ryder Cup points over the same period. Team captain Bernhard Langer will then add two wildcard selections.
