Rory McIlroy moved again to second on this planet regardless of skipping final week’s Cognizant Basic within the Palm Seashores.
The Holywood star, who returns to motion on this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, leapfrogged reigning PGA and Open Championship winner Xander Schauffele to regain the quantity two spot for the primary time since July final yr.
McIlroy heads Schauffele, who returns from an eight-week harm layoff at Bay Hill, by simply 0.01 world rating factors however stays greater than six rating factors behind Scottie Scheffer.
American Joe Highsmith (24) leapt 111 locations from a hundred and seventieth to 59th because of his shock win within the Cognizant Basic.
After barely making the lower, the Pepperdine graduate closed with a pair of 64s to win by two strokes from Jacob Bridgeman and JJ Spaun.
The primary left-hander to win on the PGA TOUR since Matt McCarty final yr, Highsmith additionally earned a spot within the Masters and the remainder of this season’s Signature Occasions.
“I by no means actually strive to consider profitable,” Highsmith stated. “All that stuff is simply form of a bit of summary. You are simply attempting to hit one good shot at a time.
“I had seen a pair boards on the market and also you get that feeling while you’re taking part in properly that possibly you do have an opportunity to win. So long as you do not mess it up, you then’ll find yourself on high.
“I’ve had just a few tournaments like that through the years, however I have not received too many occasions. This one felt fairly good to do it out right here at this nice occasion.”
As for making it to the Masters, he was virtually reluctant to debate his impending invitation.
“Did you say the Masters?” he stated when requested about one of many bonuses that comes with profitable a full-field occasion on the PGA Tour.
“I do not wish to break any protocol…Augusta Nationwide is a spot that has a very particular place in my coronary heart. I’ve solely been there a few occasions as a spectator, and I used to be in a position to play, luckily, with a few members final yr.
“It is rather like essentially the most unbelievable place on earth. I went final yr to the event simply as a spectator as a result of any likelihood that I can get to stroll out there may be fairly — I’ll benefit from that.
“However to be taking part in in that event goes to be very particular and one thing, clearly, you’re employed in the direction of your complete life, however you by no means actually know when you are going to get that likelihood. It is fairly candy for that to be coming fairly quickly.”
Shane Lowry had a greater day with the putter and made a 25-footer for a closing birdie for a 67 that left him tied for eleventh on 13-under.
He joins McIlroy at Bay Hill, trying to enhance on his third-place end behind Scheffler final yr.
Lowry moved up one place to seventeenth on this planet, which is his finest world rating place for 5 years.
The DP World Tour strikes from Durban to Johannesburg for the Joburg Open at Houghton Golf Membership.
The Arnold Palmer Invitational shall be performed reverse the $4m Puerto Rico Open at Grand Reserve Golf Membership, the place Royal Dublin’s Max Kennedy makes his PGA TOUR debut.
Kennedy, a cardholder on the HotelPlanner Tour, earned his place within the discipline because of his win within the Normal Hackler Championship in his ultimate yr on the College of Louisville final yr.
Leona Maguire, in the meantime, strikes from her twenty first place end behind Lydia Ko within the HSBC Ladies’s World Championship in Singapore to China for the Blue Bay LPGA.
On the LPGA’s second-tier Epson Tour, Douglas’ Sara Byrne closed with a 73 to complete tied for twenty eighth ($2,171) on her debut within the Central Florida Championship.
The previous Curtis Cup star stays in Florida for the Atlantic Seashore Basic at Atlantic Seashore Nation Membership in Jacksonville.
Byrne lies tied for twenty seventh within the race for 10 LPGA Tour playing cards on the finish of the Epson Tour season
