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Rory McIllroy keeps 2nd spot in golf’s world ranking as Phil Mickelson returns to top ten

By Mark Garrod
Monday, 20 February 2012

Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson is back into the world's top 10 after just missing out on a second successive victory last night.

A week after winning at Pebble Beach, Mickelson sank a 26-foot birdie putt on the final green to tie fellow American Bill Haas in the Northern Trust Open at Riviera.

Keegan Bradley followed him in from 13 feet to make it a three-way play-off, but Haas grabbed the title with a 45-foot birdie putt on the second extra hole.

Mickelson climbs from 11th to ninth, while Haas is up to a career-high 12th from 22nd and USPGA champion Bradley moves from 26th into the top 20 for the first time at 19th - just ahead of Tiger Woods.

Although neither Rory McIlroy nor Lee Westwood played last week, the Northern Irishman returns to number two.

Latest leading positions in the world golf rankings: 1 Luke Donald 9.26pts, 2 Rory McIlroy 7.80, 3 Lee Westwood 7.80, 4 Martin Kaymer 5.96, 5 Steve Stricker 5.68, 6 Webb Simpson 5.17, 7 Jason Day 5.11, 8 Adam Scott 5.10, 9 Phil Mickelson 5.05, 10 Dustin Johnson 5.03, 11 Charl Schwartzel 4.86, 12 Bill Haas 4.68, 13 Graeme McDowell 4.42, 14 Matt Kuchar 4.37, 15 Nick Watney 4.26, 16 Sergio Garcia 4.16, 17 KJ Choi 4.14, 18 Brandt Snedeker 4.00, 19 Keegan Bradley 3.96, 20 Tiger Woods 3.77.

Other leading Europeans: 23 Justin Rose, 24 Paul Casey, 25 Ian Poulter, 26 Thomas Bjorn, 28 Simon Dyson, 29 Alvaro Quiros, 32 Robert Karlsson, 35 Peter Hanson, 36 Anders Hansen, 37 Fredrik Jacobson, 40 Martin Laird, 43 Francesco Molinari, 45 Paul Lawrie, 48 Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, 52 Miguel Angel Jimenez, 53 Darren Clarke, 59 Robert Rock, 60 Rafael Cabrera Bello, 61 Matteo Manassero, 64 Nicolas Colsaerts, 67 Joost Luiten, 75 Alexander Noren, 83 Edoardo Molinari, 85 Pablo Larrazabal, 87 Padraig Harrington, 88 Carl Pettersson, 90 Gregory Havret, 91 David Lynn, 94 Jamie Donaldson, 95 Michael Hoey, 100 Stephen Gallacher.

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