Scott wins Masters, jumps in rankings

VIRGINIA WATER, England, April 15 (UPI) -- Adam Scott picked up his first major tournament title in a playoff at the Masters, which boosted him to No. 3 in the men's world golf rankings.

Scott's birdie on the second playoff hole Sunday allowed him to finish ahead of Angel Cabrera. They had tied after 72 holes at 9-under 279.

Scott improved his world ranking four places to No. 3 with the win. Cabrera, who won the Masters in 2009, jumped more than 200 spots in the rankings to No. 64.

Tigers Woods, who ended up tied for fourth at the Masters, remains the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world. He has a rankings points average of 12.17, which is solidly ahead of No. 2-ranked Rory McIlroy's average of 10.88. McIlroy and fellow Top 10 players Justin Rose and Luke Donald were among the group tied for 25th at the Masters, 11 strokes behind Scott and Cabrera.

Scott has an average of 7.91 while Rose, who falls from third to fourth this week, is at 6.91 and Brandt Snedeker, with a tie for sixth at the Masters, remains fifth at 6.48.

Donald, ranked fourth last week, has an average of 6.46, which is sixth highest. Louis Oosthuizen, the only Top 10 player to miss the cut at the Masters last week, slips one place to seventh with an average of 5.88. Steve Stricker (5.64) remains ranked eighth after tying for 20th in the Masters.

Matt Kuchar (5.48) is up one spot to ninth after his tie for eighth in Augusta, Ga., while Phil Mickelson, who tied for 54th Sunday, falls from ninth to No. 10 with an average of 5.23.