Crunch time for Seamus Power to make the US Masters

Less than a month out from the US Masters, the first golf major of the year, Seamus Power is right on the cusp of making it to Augusta National.

As things stand, Ireland will have at least three players involved: Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and Padraig Harrington.

Power needs to stay in the world's top 50 to make his first ever Masters appearance - after missing the cut in Orlando in the Bay Hill Invitational over the weekend he sits at No 50.

McIlroy has dropped one place to sixth in the world after he fell back to a tie for 13th place in Orlando while Lowry - who didn't play the event - is No 36.

McIlroy, Lowry and Power are all in the field for the Players Championship in Sawgrass this week and Power will be desperate for a decent showing to enhance his chances of making it to Augusta.

The faces of the new generation of golf are well represented at the top of the latest rankings.

With Scottie Scheffler [above] leaping past McIlroy thanks to his win at the Arnold Palmer, the average age of the top five players is 26 years old.

Jon Rahm, 27, maintained his spot atop the rankings after his tie for 17th at Bay Hill. The Spaniard is followed by American Collin Morikawa, 25, who was idle last week.

Norway's Viktor Hovland was unable to cash in on his 54-hole lead, but the 24-year-old climbed another spot to a career-best third in the world with his tied for second. He leapfrogged American Patrick Cantlay, who is the elder statesman of the current top five at 29 years old.

Scheffler, 25, got his second victory of the season and has moved up seven spots since the end of 2021.

"I've just made little improvements over the years, and I'm starting to see them pay off a little bit, which is really awesome," Scheffler said Sunday.

McIlroy is