GOLF: No one needs to remind Paul McGinley his "win ratio", as he puts it, is not what it should be on tour. His runner-up finish to Angel Cabrera in the BMW Championship on Sunday was his 13th second-place finish on the PGA European Tour - three of which have been play-off losses - as against just three wins.

Yet, the upside is his strong showing at Wentworth has catapulted the Dubliner up 28 spots to 40th position in the latest world rankings, guaranteeing his place in the field for the US Open at Pinehurst No 2 in a fortnight.

The qualifying standard for competing in the majors has swung towards rewarding those in the world's top 50, and that has not always suited McGinley. In many cases, he has lingered just outside that standard, as exemplified by the US Masters this year when he was 62nd in the rankings and did not get an invitation.

"It really hurt not being in the Masters this year," he said. "I feel I'm good enough to be playing in it and it did hurt. I didn't even watch it on television, it hurt that much."

Of course, the one way to ensure he does get into the majors (and the world championships) is to be inside that magical top-50 mark, and it seems a little ironic a second-place finish should provide the required result. The strength of the field in Wentworth meant the 38.4 points McGinley earned was more than the winner would claim in the majority of regular European Tour events.

The upshot is that instead of having to pre-qualify for the US Open at the international qualifying in Walton Heath, outside London, next Monday, McGinley becomes the fourth Irish player to be guaranteed a place in the season's second major at Pinehurst, North Carolina, on June 16th-19th. Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell were already assured of their places.

However, Clarke's immediate itinerary must remain doubtful. The Tyrone man withdrew from the PGA at Wentworth to be with his wife, Heather, who has been undergoing treatment for cancer and who was hospitalised during the tournament.

McGinley's elevation in the world rankings means he is now likely to play in three of this year's majors, as he had already qualified for the British Open - thanks to his Ryder Cup status - at St Andrews, and, assuming he stays in the world's top 50, he will also gain entry into the US PGA at Baltusrol in August.

His upward movement in the rankings is all the more impressive considering he was side-lined for almost three months at the start of the season after undergoing surgery on a knee injury. And, although now 38, McGinley envisages playing more tournaments in the US, without turning his back on the European Tour.

"Yeah, I'd like to play more. If you want to be a top player in the world, I think you've got to play on a world tour now."

Indeed, he believes the increased number of European players on the US Tour should contribute towards an overdue resurgence in Europeans winning majors. The last European player to win a major was Paul Lawrie, at the British Open at Carnoustie in 1999.

"I think it's a matter of time before we start winning majors again. I believe we're going to get a run (of winners), mainly because there are more Europeans playing in American conditions."

McGinley returns to one of the scenes of his three European Tour successes when he competes in the Wales Open at Celtic Manor this week. However, the course this year is the shorter Roman Road course - which has a par of 69 - due to the redevelopment of the Wentwood Hills course which will play host to the Ryder Cup in 2010.

The Irish contingent at the Wales Open comprises McGinley, Gary Murphy, Peter Lawrie, Damien McGrane, Philip Walton and Stephen Browne. Graeme McDowell, who had originally entered, has decided to miss out as he prepares to return Stateside where he has enjoyed a much better time results-wise than he has in Europe.

Apart from McGinley, another player to benefit from the big offering of world rankings points at Wentworth was Colin Montgomerie, who moved up three places from 53rd to 50th and, consequently, edged his way into the field for the US Open. While McGinley has just two previous appearances in the US Open (1997 and 2002), Montgomerie was ever-present from 1993 until 2003, but missed out last year at Shinnecock Hills after falling out of the world's top 50.

Padraig Harrington, meanwhile, has resisted the urge to seek more tournament sharpness and has a week away from competition before resuming at next week's Booz Allen at Congressional, the start of a four-week stint that will be followed by the US Open at Pinehurst, the Barclays Classic at Westchester and the Smurfit European Open at the K Club.