LOS ANGELES — Each victory is a reminder how far Steve Stricker has come in four years, when he lost his PGA Tour card and plunged to No. 337 in the world ranking.

His latest PGA Tour title — the fourth in his last 15 tournaments — raised questions about how much higher he can go.

Stricker won the Northern Trust Open on Sunday, just like everyone expected, even though Stricker might have been the only one who expected a six-shot lead to be so difficult to protect. His lead dwindled to two shots in a span of five holes, and only after Stricker made a 10-foot par putt on the 15th hole did he breathe easy.

"It was a challenge, to say the least," Stricker said after closing with a 1-under 70 for a two-shot victory over Luke Donald.

The victory moved him to No. 2 in the world for the second time in his career. He also got there in September after winning on the TPC Boston, but that was when Tiger Woods was still around.

Now, Stricker effectively is the highest-ranked player who is competing until Woods returns from his self-imposed break while he tries to salvage his marriage from his extramarital affairs.

Stricker, as humble as his Midwestern roots, knows his place.

"We all know who the best player in the world is," Stricker said. "I went down that road when he came out on tour. I tried to compare my game to his back in '96 or '97, and there was no comparison for my game to his back then. I'll just continue to do what I do, and that's practice hard and work at it and try to improve."

That's what he did after losing his card and failing Q-school at the end of 2005, cutting out the side wall of a trailer to hit balls into a patch of snow on a Wisconsin golf course. Just look at where it has brought him.

Two Presidents Cup teams. One Ryder Cup team. Earnings approaching $17 million since he lost his card. No. 2 in the world.