Gavin Dear's Irish win hoists

him up to No 25 in the world

Gavin Dear's victory in the Irish open amateur stroke-play championship at the weekend promoted him 17 places in the latest R&A World Amateur Golf Rankings.
The 24-year-old Murrayshall Golf Club, Perth man from Scone is now 25th - 20 places above the only other Scot in the top 50, Comrie's Wallace Booth who finished second at Royal Dublin on Sunday.
Booth has moved up from 59th to 45th.

Dear, winner of the Craigmillar Park Open earlier in the Scottish season, would dearly like to make the top 10 of the WAGR before he turns professional in late September. Victory in the upcoming Scottish open amateur stroke-play championship at Murcar Links would be another huge step in that direction.

Booth will, of course, be defending the title he won in last year's weather-shortened 54-hole championship at The Duke's Course, St Andrews.
Apart from Dear and Booth, there is only one other Scot ranked in the world's top 100 amateurs - Ross Kellett (Colville Park) who moves up five places in the rankings to No 91 after making the final day of the "Irish."
The biggest Scottish mover in the WAGR is Troon's Michael Stewart, a first-year student at East Tennessee State University, Johnson City. His first win on the US college circuit in the Atlantic Sun Coference championship sees him improve 38 places to No 172.
On the downside, Keir McNicoll (Carnoustie), runner-up in last year's Irish open amateur stroke-play but who missed the cut at the weekend, drops 61 places to No 278. Paul O'Hara (Colville Park), winner of the recent Edward Trophy but another who was eliminated at the halfway stage at Royal Dublin, drops 64 places to No 294.

TOP RANKINGS AND SCOTS IN LEADING 500
1 Scott Arnold (Aus) 1361.25.
2 Morgan Hoffman (US) 1210.00
3 Rickie Fowler (US) 1178.95 (+1).
4 Nicol Van Wyk (SAf) 1168.75 (-1).
5 Nick Taylor (Can) 1165.28
Selected players:
25 Gavin Dear (Murrayshall) 974.67 (+17)
45 Wallace Booth (Comrie) 927.27 (+14).
91 Ross Kellett (Colville Park) 855.22 (+5).
130 Steven McEwan (Caprington) 806.25 (+14).
172 Michael Stewart (East Tennessee State Univ) 772.41 (+38).
246 James Byrne (Arizona State Univ) 715.25 (+1).
264 Mark Hillson (Craigielaw) 703.13 (+3).
278 Keir McNicoll (Carnoustie) 694.29 (-61).
294 Paul O'Hara (Colville Park) 689.46 (-64).
306 Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie) 681.13 (-1).
355 James White (Lundin) 654.10 (+1)]
382 Craig Watson (East Renfrewshire) 637.50.
386 Lewis Kirton (Louisville-Kentucky Univ)0 635.00 (-1)
399 Scott Borrowman (Dollar) 624.68 (+2).
405 Gordon Yates (Hilton Park) 620.00 (-1).
415 David Law (Hazlehead) 614.29 (-4)
435 Philip McLean (Peterhead) 604.00 (+9)
+Where no "+" or "-", player's position is the same as it was last week.