Congratulations Lee Westwood

[a stoner]

Lee Westwood has bocome world number 1 sitting on his sofa at home nursing his calf injury.

 

England's Lee Westwood became world number one golfer for the first time ending American Tiger Woods's 281-week reign at the top of the sport.

 

German Martin Kaymer needed a top-two finish at Valderrama to become number one himself but ended Sunday's fourth round seven over - well off the lead.

 

Kaymer fired a final round of 75, with the leaders in Spain yet to finish.

 

Westwood, 37, becomes Europe's first number one golfer since compatriot Nick Faldo achieved the feat in 1994.

 

Kaymer had started the day nine shots adrift of leader Graeme McDowell after opening with a 72 on Thursday and following that with a 75 and a third round 70.

 

The 25-year-old, therefore, required a sensational effort on Sunday to move up the leaderboard and claim top spot. But despite a birdie on the third Kaymer showed little of his recent fine form ending the day four over par.

 

For Woods it is a remarkable fall from grace having at one time seemed unstoppable in his assault on Jack Nicklaus's record of 18 Major wins. He has faltered badly after a knee injury and revelations about his personal life that saw him take an extended break from the game.

 

Westwood is currently recovering from a calf problem and does not intend to play again before the WGC-HSBC Champions event on 4 November.

 

His career has been in two phases, he spent 180 weeks in the top-10 between 1998 and 2001, winning the Order of Merit in 2000 and reaching world number four.

 

But he took a break from the game after the birth of his first child and rather lost his way, dropping outside the top 250 in the rankings.

 

His next victory was not until the BMW International Open in 2003, but when he won the Andalucia Open and British Masters in 2007 he moved back into the top 50 and by the end of the 2008 season he was back in the top 10.

 

The Worksop golfer won the inaugural Race To Dubai, the new European Tour Order of Merit, in 2009, when he was one shot away from being in a play-off for the Open Championship with Tom Watson and Stewart Cink.

 

At this year's Masters he was one stroke ahead going into the final day but was denied by Phil Mickelson's magnificent final round of 67 and was runner-up to Louis Oosthuizen, seven shots adrift, in the Open at St Andrews, before the calf injury hampered the remainder of his season.

 

 

[Trumo]

Not that strange. Tiger Woods remained No1 whilst trying to remove a golf club from his arse.

[VladimirIlyich]

The only thing I will say is,how do you end up being World number 1 without winning a major tournament?

 

Its crazy the way these ranking points are awarded in golf.

[Fugitive]

The only thing I will say is,how do you end up being World number 1 without winning a major tournament?

 

Its crazy the way these ranking points are awarded in golf.

 

Yep, it's a pretty hollow tag when you've never actually won anything of note.

[lifetime fan]

If he took two months off golf after the ryder cup he would have been made world number one.

 

The ranking points are shit.

 

Still pleased for a great lad though.

[RED.DUB]

have very little interest in golf but thats gotta be a hollow victory,sitting atop the leader board without winning a title.

[lifetime fan]

have very little interest in golf but thats gotta be a hollow victory,sitting atop the leader board without winning a title.

 

He's won many a title, he hasn't won a major.

[RED.DUB]

He's won many a title, he hasn't won a major.

fair do's,no clue how many titles hes won and when he won the last one but seems ridiculous that you can top a leader board not because you constantly win tournaments but because you finish maybe in the top ten or five enough times.

[VladimirIlyich]

He's won many a title, he hasn't won a major.

 

His last win was November 2009,not even this season.

 

Very hollow really.

 

I think hes a decent golfer but not the best in the world.

[Fugitive]

He's won many a title, he hasn't won a major.

 

He's won two PGA titles. One this year and one about 11 years ago and a load of European tour titles but they were mainly won over ten years ago.

 

Not what I'd call the best in the world.

[VladimirIlyich]

Apologies to him,he won a US PGA Tournament in June, the St Jude Classic.

[a stoner]

The points in golf are rolling over 2 years now so the points totals change every time there is a tournement. It shows who has been the most consistant golfer over that period over who is best right now.

[lifetime fan]

If he took two months off golf after the ryder cup he would have been made world number one.

 

The ranking points are shit.

Still pleased for a great lad though.

 

He's won two PGA titles. One this year and one about 11 years ago and a load of European tour titles but they were mainly won over ten years ago.

 

Not what I'd call the best in the world.

 

Again.

 

I don't agree with the ranking system, it is done over two years and shows a players consistency.

[VladimirIlyich]

Again.

 

I don't agree with the ranking system, it is done over two years and shows a players consistency.

 

The problem is if you are ranked number 1 in the world you are expected to be the best rather than the most consistent.

 

Something needs to change because its getting as farcical as the FIFA rankings.

[DooooodekNo5]

Lee Westwood is a class act and deserves all he gets including the number 1 spot.

 

One of the things i really hope to see in sport is him winning that 1st major , then im sure a couple more would follow Harrington style , hes been so close the last 5 or 6 and been playing top golf the last few years i really hope it happens for him.

[VladimirIlyich]

I cant disagree that Westwood may be a class act as a person and a top golfer but he isnt the best in the world.

 

Feel really sorry for Kaymer who won 3 tournaments on the trot including the USPGA,he should be number 1 if its a toss up between Westwood and him.

[RobbieOR]

Its stupid. The ranking points are based on money. So basically if you play in America where every tournament has decent prize funds (Even if you finish way down the leaderboard).

 

Thats why the likes of Singh and Els are still so high up the rankings.

[Josef Svejk]

By all accounts, a nice guy... so good luck to him. I'm just happy that the Tiger Woods mega-marketing machine has taken a hit. The cunt.

[Flying Pig]

Its like the div kid getting to be milk monitor just because he sits near the teacher.

[clockspeed]

I cant disagree that Westwood may be a class act as a person and a top golfer but he isnt the best in the world.

 

Feel really sorry for Kaymer who won 3 tournaments on the trot including the USPGA,he should be number 1 if its a toss up between Westwood and him.

 

Well have seen them both close up and granted both excellent golfers but Westwood is an incredible driver of a golf ball beats Kaymer hands down in that department. Also likes a pint , has a few racehorses , bets a bit etc etc all round good guy wish him well

[Haan'sThunderbolt]

I think there's too much made about him not winning a major - there's plenty of lesser players who have won, then done very little, i;e Larry Mize, Bob Tway, Rich Beem, Shawn Micheel, Paul Lawrie, etc

[Ponz]

These are the 12 players to have occupied the no 1 spot before Westwood:

 

Tiger Woods

Greg Norman

Nick Faldo

Seve Ballesteros

Ian Woosnam

Nick Price

Vijay Singh

Fred Couples

David Duval

Ernie Els

Bernhard Langer

Tom Lehman

 

Every one of the above is a major winner and 8 of the 12 are multiple major winners. Westwood will either vindicate his place on the list or prove to be a complete anomaly on it. Either way, you need a pretty solid ranking system to produce a list of this calibre.

 

Thats why the likes of Singh and Els are still so high up the rankings.

 

Singh is currently ranked 83rd.

 

Els is ranked highly because he's still one of the world's best players (9 top 10's this year, 2 wins, top 3 in the US Open)

[VladimirIlyich]

Well have seen them both close up and granted both excellent golfers but Westwood is an incredible driver of a golf ball beats Kaymer hands down in that department. Also likes a pint , has a few racehorses , bets a bit etc etc all round good guy wish him well

 

'Drive for show and Putt for dough' as the experts say.

[a stoner]

He will win a mojor in the next year or so. My bet is on the british open next year in Kent.

[RobbieOR]

These are the 12 players to have occupied the no 1 spot before Westwood:

 

Tiger Woods

Greg Norman

Nick Faldo

Seve Ballesteros

Ian Woosnam

Nick Price

Vijay Singh

Fred Couples

David Duval

Ernie Els

Bernhard Langer

Tom Lehman

 

Every one of the above is a major winner and 8 of the 12 are multiple major winners. Westwood will either vindicate his place on the list or prove to be a complete anomaly on it. Either way, you need a pretty solid ranking system to produce a list of this calibre.

 

 

 

Singh is currently ranked 83rd.

 

Els is ranked highly because he's still one of the world's best players (9 top 10's this year, 2 wins, top 3 in the US Open)

 

Singh was 3rd or 4th not so long ago. I seem to remember Harrington won 3 majors in a year and the highest he got to was 3rd but after a month or so he fell back down the rankings.

 

The ranking system is a load of my arse.