Tiger Woods closes on Rory McIlroy in the world rankings following 75th PGA Tour title

Woods won at Torrey Pines

Tee break: Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods chat during the Turkish Airlines World Golf Final at Antalya (Getty Images)

Tiger Woods's 75th PGA Tour title - an amazing eight of them at Torrey Pines - has taken a sizeable chunk out of Rory McIlroy's lead at the top of the world rankings.

McIlroy has held the number one spot since his USPGA Championship victory last August, but his advantage is now down to 3.14 points and could narrow further before he next plays at the WGC-Accenture Match Play in Arizona on February 20.

Chris Wood's maiden European Tour win at the Qatar Masters moves the Bristolian 25-year-old up from 142nd to 60th. The top 64 at the end of next week earn places in Tucson.

Latest leading positions in the world golf rankings:

1 Rory McIlroy 12.43pts, 2 Tiger Woods 9.29, 3 Luke Donald 7.94, 4 Justin Rose 6.63, 5 Louis Oosthuizen 6.60, 6 Adam Scott 6.08, 7 Brandt Snedeker 5.74, 8 Lee Westwood 5.69, 9 Bubba Watson 5.26, 10 Jason Dufner 5.15

11 Steve Stricker 5.05, 12 Ian Poulter 4.99, 13 Keegan Bradley 4.91, 14 Sergio Garcia 4.82, 15 Dustin Johnson 4.77, 16 Webb Simpson 4.77, 17 Charl Schwartzel 4.62, 18 Graeme McDowell 4.56, 19 Nick Watney 4.54, 20 Peter Hanson 4.52

Other leading Europeans: 27 Martin Kaymer, 30 Jamie Donaldson, 32 Paul Lawrie, 33 Carl Pettersson, 34 Francesco Molinari, 35 Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, 37 Nicolas Colsaerts, 43 Thorbjorn Olesen, 44 Matteo Manassero, 48 Thomas Bjorn, 49 Alexander Noren, 50 David Lynn, 51 Henrik Stenson, 52 Padraig Harrington, 56 Rafael Cabrera Bello, 57 Richie Ramsay, 60 Chris Wood, 61 Marcel Siem, 62 Shane Lowry, 64 Bernd Wiesberger, 65 Miguel Angel Jimenez, 66 Anders Hansen, 68 Fredrik Jacobson, 69 Scott Jamieson, 74 Simon Dyson, 79 Jonas Blixt, 81 Martin Laird, 83 Kristoffer Broberg, 84 Danny Willett, 93 Pablo Larrazabal, 98 Joost Luiten, 99 Fredrik Andersson Hed.

PA