Jordan Spieth hopes to continue his ascent up golf's world rankings after his win at the Valspar Championship left him in select company.

Victory in Tampa moved Spieth to a career-high ranking of sixth, as well as securing his second PGA Tour win before the age of 22 - something achieved by just three other men since 1940.

World number one Rory McIlroy is not included in that trio of Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia and Robert Gamez.

Spieth came through a fraught three-way play-off to take the Valspar title, having also won his previous PGA crown in a shootout, an experience he hopes can prove beneficial in the long term.

"I like studying the game, being a historian of the game," Spieth told the PGA Tour website. "It's really cool to have my name go alongside those.

"But right now currently what I'm really focused on is Rory McIlroy and the number one in the world. That's who everyone is trying to chase.

"That's our ultimate goal to eventually be the best in the world and this is a great, great stepping stone. But going into the four majors of the year, to have closed one out in this kind of fashion is going to give me a lot of confidence.

"When you're tense and pressure is on, I really needed to make some putts that would kind of ooze that confidence back into me that I can do this. 

"Your hand, you're shaking. Your stroke doesn't feel as comfortable as it does on Thursday morning and it's about controlling that, seeing the line and still hitting it and the last few holes proved that to me."