• World Rankings

McDowell climbs to four in the world

Graeme McDowell will head to Arizona this week with a spring in his step © PA Photos

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: McDowell targets matchplay success
  
• Profile: Graeme McDowell | Phil Mickelson
World Rankings

Phil Mickelson's failure to shine in the Northern Trust Open has seen Graeme McDowell take his spot as the fourth best player on the planet.

McDowell was not an action at Riviera, opting to take the week off in preparation for the World Matchplay, but it proved to be a good week for the Ulsterman who moved up one place on account of Mickelson misfiring.

Mickelson was put in the shade at Pacific Palisades by Aaron Baddeley and his win catapulted him a huge 151 places up the rankings to 73. Mickelson has not won a tournament since last year's Masters but he feels is game is progressing.

"I feel better about my game right now than I ever have with one exception; I would like to win," Mickelson said. "There's something to be said about winning a tournament, getting some confidence, being in contention on Sunday and coming out on top that is nice going into Augusta - although I didn't do that last year and was able to win it.

"It's that last little hump of winning a tournament and being in contention and finishing it off that I'd like to do before then."

World Rankings: 1. Lee Westwood (ENG), 2. Martin Kaymer (GER), 3. Tiger Woods (USA), 4. Graeme McDowell (NIR), 5. Phil Mickelson (USA), 6. Paul Casey (ENG), 7. Rory McIlroy (NIR), 8. Steve Stricker (USA), 9. Luke Donald (ENG), 10. Jim Furyk (USA), 11. Ernie Els (RSA), 12. Ian Poulter (ENG), 13. Matt Kuchar (USA), 14. Dustin Johnson (USA), 15. Retief Goosen (RSA), 16. Francesco Molinari (ITA), 17. Robert Karlsson (SWE), 18. Hunter Mahan (USA), 19. Bubba Watson (USA), 20. Louis Oosthuizen (RSA)

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.