RODDY CARR must have been the happiest man in Ireland on Sunday night.

LEE WESTWOOD has strengthened his place at the top of the world rankings and re-ignited his bid to retain the European Tour’s Race to Dubai order of merit by finishing a stroke behind Francesco Molinari in the HSBC World Championship in Shanghai.

THE battle for top spot on the European Tour order of merit resumes this week having been largely in abeyance for the past six weeks or so as the leading protagonists concentrated on the FedEx Trophy play-offs in the US followed by the Seve Trophy at the Heritage club over the weekend.

SERGIO Garcia bristled here last night when it was put to him that he was now the best player in golf never to have won a major championship.