Graeme McDowell, who sank the winning putt for Europe in the Ryder Cup, has moved into the top ten of world golfers after his victory at the Andalucia Valderrama Masters tournament this weekend.

In testing weather conditions, McDowell registered a three over par for the day, giving him a two-stroke victory over a chasing group that included two other Irishmen – Damien McGrane and Gareth Maybin – and Denmark’s Soren Kjeldsen.

The win, and the rise in the rankings, makes McDowell the sixth European in the top 10, with the other spaces padded out by Americans.

The only other Irishman in the top ten is another Northern Ireland golfer, Rory McIlroy.

England’s Lee Westwood is the new number 1, ending Tiger Woods’s 281-week reign as the world’s best golfer.