McIlroy closing in on Donald

RORY McILROY’S last-hole birdie in the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai has taken him to a career-high second in the world.

Now only England’s Luke Donald is ahead of the 22-year-old US Open champion thanks to his fourth place finish.

If he had parred the 18th McIlroy would have been in a four-way tie for sixth and would have stayed behind Lee Westwood in the rankings.

But he hit his approach to the par five to the back of the green and two-putted — watched by Westwood, who came only just 13th after a disappointing closing 74.

Martin Kaymer’s victory after a magnificent 63 containing nine birdies in the last 12 holes has lifted him back to fourth and giving Europe the top four places again.

Kaymer finished the tournament on 20-under-par 268, three shots clear of runner-up Fredrik Jacobson of Sweden.

Kaymer vowed to give Race to Dubai leader Luke Donald a hard time after cutting his advantage in the European money list. The German is now £893,444 behind world number one Donald in the rankings.

Kaymer admits it will still be difficult to rein in Donald — who missed the world championship event this week as he and his wife prepare for the birth of their second daughter — but now has the Englishman in his sights.

“Obviously Luke is a very nice guy and he deserves to be number one in the world,” Kaymer told www.europeantour.com. “He deserves to be number one in Europe. It will be difficult (to catch him), but that is what the sport is about, to challenge yourself, challenge the other players that you play with week in, week out, and of course I will try to give him a hard time.

“We’ll see. It’s not easy to get him away from the number one spot.”

Kaymer, who won the USPGA Championship last year, completed the biggest last-day comeback in world championship history. He produced a stunning run of nine birdies in his final 12 holes to turn a five-shot deficit to overnight leader Jacobson at the start of the day into a three-shot win.

Ireland’s Graeme McDowell was third a shot further back, with his McIlroy one of three players to finish in joint fourth place, along with England’s Paul Casey and South African Charl Schwartzel.