Rory McIlroy's last-hole birdie at the WGC-HSBC Champions event in Shanghai has taken him to a career-high second in the world.
Now, only England's Luke Donald is ahead of the 22-year-old US Open champion thanks to his fourth place finish.
If he had parred the 18th, McIlroy would have been in a four-way tie for sixth and would have stayed behind Lee Westwood in the rankings.
But he hit his approach to the par five to the back of the green and two-putted - watched by Westwood, who came just 13th after a disappointing closing 74.
Martin Kaymer's victory in Shanghai after a magnificent 63 containing nine birdies in the last 12 holes has lifted him back to fourth and gives Europe the top four places again.
Donald missed the tournament while awaiting the birth of his second daughter, but was too far ahead to be caught even if Westwood or McIlroy had won.
Kaymer is now ?893,444 behind world number one Donald in the rankings after a nine-under-par 63 on the final day saw him win by three shots in China.
Sweden's Fredrik Jacobson was second, with Portrush's Graeme McDowell third and his compatriot McIlroy in a tie for fourth with England's Paul Casey and South African Charl Schwartzel.
Kaymer admits it will still be difficult to rein in Donald - who missed the world championship event this week as he and his wife prepare for the birth of their second daughter - but now has the Englishman in his sights.
"Obviously, Luke is a very nice guy and he deserves to be number one in the world," Kaymer said.
"He deserves to be number one in Europe. It will be difficult (to catch him), but that is what the sport is about, to challenge yourself, challenge the other players that you play with week in, week out, and of course I will try to give him a hard time.
"We'll see. It's not easy to get him away from the number one spot."
Kaymer, who won the USPGA Championship last year, completed the biggest last-day comeback in world championship history. He produced a stunning run of nine birdies in his final 12 holes to turn a five-shot deficit to overnight leader Jacobson at the start of the day into a three-shot win.
After playing the first six holes to par, Kaymer started his charge with a birdie on the 346-yard par-four seventh, before adding another on the eighth.
It was the inward nine where the 26-year-old really shone, though, as he recorded four successive birdies from the 10th to 13th, and then three more on the 15th, 17th and 18th as he came back in just 29 shots.
Kaymer added: "It was an okay season, now it's a good season.
"I played brilliant golf in Abu Dhabi (to win the HSBC Championship in January) and, when I became the number one in the world in February after the World Golf Championships event in Arizona, my life has changed a little bit - not only mine, for the people I work with, my family.
"It has been a little awkward sometimes because I was just not used to being in the spotlight.
"It took some time to get used to it, and hopefully it will happen again, because I know what's going to happen, I know how to approach that."
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