Rory McIlroy just missed out on becoming the new World Number One after losing the final of the WGC - Accenture Match Play Championship 2 and 1 to Hunter Mahan, but the Northern Irishman had the consolation of moving to the top of The Race to Dubai.
McIlroy, whose second place in Arizona took his season earnings to €938, 052, replaced early season leader Branden Grace at the summit, with Lee Westwood also moving past the South African after finishing fourth at Ritz-Carlton Golf Club.
Reigning US Open Champion McIlroy, who finished runner-up in The Race to Dubai in 2009 and 2011, or Westwood could still go to the WGC-Cadillac Championship, as World Number One. With The European Tour taking a week off, either McIlroy or Westwood could replace Luke Donald at the top of the Official World Golf Ranking with success at this week’s Honda Classic on the US PGA Tour.
Meanwhile, Grace, Robert Rock, Rafael Cabrera-Bello, Jbe’ Kruger and Retief Goosen have secured their places at Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Florida for next week’s WGC-Cadillac Championship, courtesy of being inside the top ten on The Race to Dubai on Monday February 27. They will join European Tour Members inside the top 50 on the Official World Golf Ranking as of Monday February 27 and Monday March 5 and those inside the top 20 on The 2011 Race to Dubai, in the field for the season’s second World Golf Championships event.
