Snedeker reaches ninth in golf rankings

VIRGINIA WATER, England, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- Brandt Snedeker inched up another spot to No. 9 in the men's world golf rankings, which were updated Monday.

While there were no tournaments on the PGA Tour or European Tour this week -- the tours were off for the Ryder Cup competition -- dilution of points won in previous tournaments cost Jason Dufner. The difference was enough for Snedeker, with a ranking points average of 5.941, to edge past Dufner (5.922).

Rory McIlroy sits atop the rankings with an average of 12.536 while Tiger Woods is second at 9.580 and Luke Donald, who ended 2011 with the top ranking, sits in third at 9.260.

Lee Westwood remains fourth with an average of 7.107 and Justin Rose, the third English player in the Top Five, has an average of 6.429.

Adam Scott (6,357) had the sixth spot ahead of Bubba Watson (6.210) while No. 8 Webb Simpson (6,073), Snedeker and Dufner fill out the Top 10.

This week, the PGA Tour heads for Las Vegas for the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open while the European Tour conducts the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland.