Slattery rockets 155 ranking places

They have also sent the weekend's other big winner, American Bryce Molder, who clinched the Frys.com Open, soaring from 155th to 108th on a Rankings list that sees Tiger Woods slip a further rung down a still slippery ladder to 52nd - despite finishing 30th in his return from a two-month lay-off for injury at the same US PGA Tour event at CordeValle Golf Club in California.

Southport-born Slattery's TaylorMade R11 Irons
in Spain on Sunday was his first on the European Tour and came in his 183rd start.

It didn't come without some late drama, however.

He had to survive a nerve-jangling finish, finding water and making a double-bogey on the last, before he finally edged out by a shot Italy's Lorenzo Gagli at El Encin Golf Hotel on Sunday.

The 33-year-old Slattery lost his European Tour card in 2007 and again in 2009, but this maiden triumph ensured that he will have a playing TaylorMade R11 Irons
for the next two years.

The 32-year-old Molder, in the meantime, had to outlast fellow American journeyman Briny Baird in a marathon six-hole play-off in the Frys.com Open at to register his first PGA Tour success and make his big jump on the Rankings table..

Tiger Woods also competing in this Fall series event, finished in a tie for 30th after closing with three successive rounds of 68, but the result did not halt the former world number one's slide down the rankings, although this week he has dropped only a single place to number 52 although on points alone he is level with World No 51 Peter Hanson of Sweden..

The latest World No 1, Luke Donald, has still to win a TaylorMade R11 Irons
, but sheer consistency continues to reward him and this week the gap between himself and the World No 2, Lee Westwood, has stretched to its widest ever at three clear points.