McIlroy is golf's new No. 1

VIRGINIA WATER, England, March 5 (UPI) -- Rory McIlroy climbed to the top of the men 's world golf rankings Monday after winning the PGA Tour's Honda Classic.

McIlroy had a chance to take over the top spot last week but finished second at the WGC match play tournament to Hunter Mahan. However, even a final-round 62 by Tiger Woods wasn't enough to catch McIlroy at the Honda Classic as he collected his third PGA Tour victory, a list that includes last year's U.S. Open.

He also has three European Tour titles, with a win at Hong Kong in December giving him three championships in the last nine months.

McIlroy at 22 is the second youngest -- to Woods -- to reach the No. 1 spot in the world rankings. By ending the 40-week stay at the top of Luke Donald, McIlroy becomes the 16th player to reach No. 1.

McIlroy has a ranking points average of 9.293, with Donald dropping to No. 2 at 8.969. Lee Westwood remains third, with an average of 8.189 followed by, in order, Martin Kaymer (6.017), Steve Stricker (5.712) and Webb Simpson (5.069).

Jason Day jumps from 10th to No. 7 with an average of 5.023, pushing Dustin Johnson (5.023) to eighth. Charl Schwartzel is up three places to ninth at 4.991 while Mahan (4.965) is 10th after a week at No. 9.

Woods is back in the Top 20 at 16th while Tom Gillis, who tied Woods for second at the Honda Classic, rockets from 269th to No. 157.