Aucklander Ryan Fox has leapt up the world golf rankings to 87, his highest position in six years as a professional.
The 31-year-old was ranked at 124 before his playoff loss in the Irish Open, when he came agonisingly close to his first tour victory.
His previous high was 95th,
after he tied for third in the Malaysian Maybank Championship early this year. He is 13th on the European Tour money leader list, with season earnings of $2.25m.
Fox was pipped by Scotland's Russell Knox for the Irish title, but the result did get him into the British Open field for the third time.
