England’s Lee Westwood Friday shrugged off a three-way battle for golf’s top ranking that could end his second stint as world number one after just one week. Westwood needs to finish at least fifth at the Ballantine’s Championship in South Korea to hold off current number two Martin Kaymer of Germany, but his fellow Englishman Luke Donald could also leapfrog them both from third.
Westwood, 38, carded a four-under-par 68 to lie tied 11th after round two, while Donald is two shots off the opening-round lead at the US PGA Zurich Classic in New Orleans. But Westwood, who deposed Tiger Woods as number one last year and returned to the top spot by winning last week’s Indonesian Masters, was unfazed. “Got to finish top five and Luke might overtake me? Oh my God, I might not eat my tea,” he said.
According to the Official World Golf Rankings, if Donald finishes in the top two at the US PGA Zurich Classic in New Orleans, his ranking points will take him past his countryman Westwood and Kaymer. For Westwood, a top-three finish would be enough to hold off Donald if he comes second in New Orleans. But if Donald wins, only victory at the Ballantine’s would keep Westwood on top. A poor finish from Westwood could see Kaymer overtake him even though the German is not playing, as Westwood’s average ranking points score — which determines his position in the table — would fall.
Since Tiger Woods’ epic 281-week reign as number one came to an end last year as his form slumped in the wake of a lurid sex scandal, the golf world has been gripped by the fierce battle for the rankings crown. Westwood held the title for 17 weeks but was overtaken in February by Kaymer, the reigning US PGA Champion, before reclaiming top spot with his three-shot win in Indonesia.
