GOLF: Australian Geoff Ogilvy moved into the top 10 of the latest world rankings after yesterday's win in the PGA Tour's season-opening Mercedes-Benz Championship, while Pádraig Harrington climbed one place to third despite not lifting a club.
Ogilvy strolled to a six-stroke victory over Anthony Kim and Davis Love III at the winners-only Mercedes event in Hawaii. The Australian played a seven-hole stretch in the middle of his final round in seven under par after his lead had been cut to one shot. The win moved the 31-year-old up from 11th to sixth in the latest standings. Kim moved up three places to ninth while Love-III jumped 23 places to 54th.
British Open and US PGA champion Harrington starts his 2009 campaign in Abu Dhabi this week, but because the rankings are calculated over a rolling two-year period he has moved ahead of Phil Mickelson with a points average of 6.71.
World number two Sergio Garcia is also in the Middle East and he and Harrington are looking to close the gap on Tiger Woods, whose long injury lay-off has given both the chance to claim the top spot before the first major of the year gets under way in April at the US Masters.
Denmark's Anders Hansen birdied the final hole for a one-stroke victory over Andrew McLardy at the Joburg Open played over both courses at the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club and co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour and the European Tour. Hansen's third European Tour win moved him up to 71st, an improvement of 19 places. Northern Ireland's Michael Hoey is 367th after he finished tied 12th in Johannesburg.
Meanwhile Ian Poulter has been forced to withdraw from the Abu Dhabi event to undergo corrective eye surgery. The Ryder Cup star has been advised to have the operation after struggling to see properly in poor light and is expected to undergo surgery next week.
"It is with great regret that I have to withdraw from the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship," Poulter said in the UAE-based newspaper
Gulf News.
"I have been having a problem with my vision in poor light and my doctors have advised me that I should have this surgery as soon as possible to prevent further deterioration.
"I am relieved that the problem can be corrected with surgery but very disappointed to miss one of my favourite events on the schedule. However, I'll be back in Abu Dhabi next year for another crack at the Falcon."
Latest World rankings
(US unless stated, last week's positions in brackets):
1. (1) Tiger Woods 11.36 average points
2. (2) Sergio Garcia (Spain) 7.88
3. (4) Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 6.71
4. (3) Phil Mickelson 6.71
5. (5) Vijay Singh (Fiji) 6.54
6. (11) Geoff Ogilvy (Australia) 5.31
7. (6) Robert Karlsson (Sweden) 4.95
8. (7) Camilo Villegas (Colombia) 4.75
9. (12) Anthony Kim 4.74
10. (9) Ernie Els (South Africa) 4.61
11. (10) Lee Westwood (Britain) 4.59
12. (8) Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 4.58
13. (13) Jim Furyk 4.29
14. (14) Kenny Perry 3.92
15. (17) Steve Stricker 3.76
16. (16) Stewart Cink 3.74
17. (18) KJ Choi (South Korea) 3.71
18. (15) Adam Scott (Australia) 3.71
19. (19) Justin Rose (Britain) 3.40
20. (20) Trevor Immelman (South Africa) 3.39
Selected others:
37. Graeme McDowell
40. Rory McIlroy
73. Darren Clarke
90. Gareth Maybin
107. Paul McGinley
175. Damien McGrane
181. Peter Lawrie
367. Michael Hoey
407. Gary Murphy
460. Michael McGeady
