McIlroy roars into top 20

McIlroy: into world's top 20

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Rory McIlroy has climbed into the world's top 20 after his maiden European Tour victory at the Dubai Desert Classic over the weekend.

The Northern Irish 19-year-old became only the sixth teenager to win on the European Tour and has jumped up to number 16 in the world as a result.

It means that McIlroy has already achieved one of his aims for the season having stated just last week that he wanted to break the top 20.

It proved a nervy finish for the youngster who bogeyed 15, 16 and 17 in Dubai to see a six-shot lead dwindle to just one going down the last.

Having found a bunker on 18 he needed to hole a three-foot par-putt to edge out Justin Rose, but did so to secure his first victory.

But while McIlroy's star continues to rise, that of Ernie Els is heading in the other direction with the South African slipping out of the world's top ten in the latest round of rankings.

The South African missed the halfway cut in Dubai and has slipped to 13 as a result - his lowest position since he won his first major title at the 1994 US Open.

Els is replaced in the top ten by American Kenny Perry who claimed his 13th career title after beating Charley Hoffman in a play-off to win the FBR Open at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona. Perry is up to number nine in the world.

Latest leading positions:

1 Tiger Woods 10.46pts, 2 Sergio Garcia 7.96, 3 Padraig Harrington 6.56, 4 Phil Mickelson 6.51, 5 Vijay Singh 6.40, 6 Henrik Stenson 5.25, 7 Robert Karlsson 5.11, 8 Geoff Ogilvy 5.09, 9 Kenny Perry 4.81, 10 Anthony Kim 4.70 11 Camilo Villegas 4.62, 12 Lee Westwood 4.44, 13 Ernie Els 4.30, 14 Jim Furyk 4.00, 15 Justin Rose 3.91, 16 Rory McIlroy 3.86, 17 Adam Scott 3.85, 18 Steve Stricker 3.69, 19 Stewart Cink 3.54, 20 KJ Choi 3.51

Other leading Europeans:

21 Paul Casey, 22 Martin Kaymer, 23 Miguel Angel Jimenez, 26 Alvaro Quiros, 31 Ian Poulter, 33 Ross Fisher, 35 Graeme McDowell, 40 Luke Donald, 43 Oliver Wilson, 48 Soren Hansen, 52 Peter Hanson, 56 Soren Kjeldsen, 63 Anders Hansen, 67 Carl Pettersson, 73 Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, 75 Darren Clarke, 79 Francesco Molinari, 80 Fredrik Jacobson, 81 Anthony Wall, 89 Nick Dougherty, 93 Gareth Maybin, 95 Alexander Noren, 96 Peter Hedblom