Sunday, April 24, 2011

Europe Set to Add Another World Number 1

Donald and Kaymer at WGC-Accenture Match Play

Europe looks set to occupy the World Number One spot for a third time in 2011 on Monday, with English pair Luke Donald and Lee Westwood involved in an all British battle to top the Official World Golf Ranking.

Donald, the current World Number Three, will replace current incumbent Martin Kaymer at the summit if he wins The Heritage in South Carolina, where he takes a one stroke lead over Jim Furyk into the final round of the US PGA Tour event.

Should he fail to capture his second win of the season following the WGC Accenture Match Play, it would be Westwood who regains the Number One position if he wins the Indonesian Masters, which he leads by five strokes heading into the decisive final round.

If both players were to win the respective titles it would be Donald who usurps Kaymer at golf’s peak, becoming the seventh European to achieve the feat following Bernhard Langer, Seve Ballesteros, Sir Nick Faldo, Ian Woosnam, Westwood and Kaymer.

Westwood held the mantle of the game’s leading player from November, when he ended Tiger Woods’ 281 week reign, until February when German Kaymer dislodged him.