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Rory McIlroy tees off during the BMW PGA Championship, Pro-Am at Wentworth today. Steve Parsons/PA Wire/Press Association Images
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Top spot on the line at Wentworth this week

If Luke Donald can win this week’s BMW PGA Championship he’ll leapfrog world number one Rory McIlroy.

WORLD NUMBER TWO Luke Donald can climb to the top of the world rankings with victory at this week’s BMW PGA Championship in England.

Donald is poised for a tilt at the title after top-six finishes in his past two tournaments. The 34-year-old Englishman finished third at the Zurich Classic and then sixth in the Players Championship.

If he can improve on that form to win at the Wentworth Club in Surrey this week, he will leapfrog world number one Rory McIlroy.

Donald won last year’s BMW PGA Championship in a play-off over compatriot Lee Westwood. The reigning champion has just one victory to his name in 2012, having won the Transitions Championship in March.

McIlroy’s only win of the season also came in March at the Honda Classic, but the Northern Irishman has finished in the top three on another three occasions. The four most recent world number ones will all tee off on Thursday, with Germany’s Martin Kaymer joining Westwood, Donald and McIlroy to form an elite field.

The English players involved at Wentworth Club this week have taken the opportunity to call for more top tournaments in England. Donald and Westwood believe their home country needs to take advantage of the boom in world-class players coming out of England.

“This is a great opportunity when you look at the world rankings at the moment,” Donald said.  ”This is the time to cultivate more interest.

“We’ve got great golfing ambassadors and need another event in England that can inspire the younger generation.”

Currently, England have three players in the top 10 in the world. With golf moving onto subscription television channel Sky Sports, Donald wants young golfers to be able to come and see their heroes in the flesh.

“We’re about to lose TV viewers whose parents don’t have Sky, with the BBC dropping out from golf, so we need more events in England full stop,” Donald said.

“I’d be happy to lend my name and time and help promote golf more in England.”

Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts heads into this week’s tournament in top form having won the Volvo World Match Play Championship on Sunday. Colsaerts defeated Graeme McDowell by one hole in the final, one of three top-20 players he knocked off while in Spain.

In all, 18 of the top 20 on the European Tour will take part this week.

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