Lawrie hits new high

Paul Lawrie: Climbs to his highest position on the world rankings

Paul Lawrie has climbed to his highest position on the world rankings a week before he returns to the Ryder Cup after a gap of 13 years.

The 43-year-old Aberdeen-born golfer played in the losing European team when the biennial contest was held at Brookline, in 1999, the year of his British Open triumph.

Lawrie, who claimed his seventh win on the European Tour earlier this year at the Qatar Masters, improved his ranking by two spots from 29th to 27th, despite not playing last week.

Next week's contest at the Medinah Country Club in Chicago involves 24 of the top 35 players in the world, 17 of whom also compete this week at the Tour Championship in Atlanta.

All 12 of the American side have made it through to the final leg of the FedEx Cup play-offs, plus world number one Rory McIlroy who leads the season-long cash-grab race for the $10million bonus.

Lee Westwood, Luke Donald, Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia are the other European players in contention.

Meanwhile, Spain's Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, who won the Italian Open at the weekend climbs from 45th to a career-high 37th.

Latest leading positions in the world golf rankings: 1 Rory McIlroy 12.93pts, 2 Tiger Woods 9.54, 3 Luke Donald 9.18, 4 Lee Westwood 7.44, 5 Adam Scott 6.43, 6 Jason Dufner 6.13, 7 Bubba Watson 6.11, 8 Webb Simpson 6.01, 9 Justin Rose 5.87, 10 Steve Stricker 5.77, 11 Louis Oosthuizen 5.69, 12 Dustin Johnson 5.51, 13 Keegan Bradley 5.43, 14 Matt Kuchar 5.42, 15 Phil Mickelson 5.18, 16 Zach Johnson 5.14, 17 Graeme McDowell 4.96, 18 Brandt Snedeker 4.96, 19 Sergio Garcia 4.87, 20 Hunter Mahan 4.71

Other leading Europeans: 23 Peter Hanson, 24 Ian Poulter, 27 Paul Lawrie, 31 Francesco Molinari, 32 Martin Kaymer, 34 Carl Pettersson, 35 Nicolas Colsaerts, 37 Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, 39 David Lynn, 41 Thomas Bjorn, 42 Martin Laird, 44 Fredrik Jacobson, 46 Rafael Cabrera Bello, 49 Simon Dyson, 50 Jamie Donaldson, 52 Anders Hansen, 56 Alvaro Quiros, 57 Padraig Harrington, 59 Richie Ramsay, 61 Marcel Siem, 70 Alexander Noren, 72 Pablo Larrazabal, 74 Robert Karlsson, 75 Bernd Wiesberger, 77 Matteo Manassero, 82 Robert Rock, 83 Miguel Angel Jimenez, 92 Thorbjorn Olesen, 97 Joost Luiten, 100 Brian Davis

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