Stars bemused by fuss over battle for No. 1
Source: Agencies |
May 21, 2011, Saturday
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THE seemingly weekly battle for the world No. 1 spot is proving engrossing viewing for European golf fans but the players involved don't know what all the fuss is about.
With former runaway No. 1 Tiger Woods slipping down the rankings at a rate of knots, the field has closed at the top and very little separates the new leader, Lee Westwood, with gallant pursuers Luke Donald and Martin Kaymer.
"It's certainly different to the days when Tiger had such a big lead ... but I think we are less fussed about it than everyone else," said No. 2-ranked Donald, who could leapfrog Westwood by winning the World Match Play Championship in Casares, Spain, this week.
Holding such a slim lead, Westwood knows he's there to be shot at each week but the 38-year-old Englishman is taking it all in his stride.
"Everything I read is, 'So-and-so could go past Lee Westwood.' Unfortunately that's how it is when you're No. 1," he said.
"You can only go one way. There is never a line where it says, 'Lee Westwood can go past ...' because there is nobody in front of me.
"I just have to live with it and I'm not really worried about it. We are all out here with the purpose of trying to win golf tournaments really."
Westwood, who spent 17 weeks at No. 1 from October to February before regaining it from Kaymer last month, knows he'll keep hold of top spot if he makes the final at the Finca Cortesin course in southern Spain.
If he's eliminated in the semifinals, Donald can move to No. 1 by winning the tournament. Third-ranked Kaymer will go to No. 1 if he wins the tournament and Westwood doesn't qualify for the last four.
Friendly rivalry
With all three players part of Europe's Ryder Cup-winning team of 2010, it's very much the friendliest of rivalries.
"It's obviously a great accolade to be No. 1 - I would love to be No. 1 - but certainly it's something I'm not really thinking about," said Donald, who has never topped the rankings.
"I think No. 1 is more up for grabs now for many people. Obviously week to week, it seems like it's between the three of us the last couple of months but certainly there's people lurking behind who can get in the mix as well. It's just something added to the mix, something to shoot for. Just something to be interested in for the fans."
With former runaway No. 1 Tiger Woods slipping down the rankings at a rate of knots, the field has closed at the top and very little separates the new leader, Lee Westwood, with gallant pursuers Luke Donald and Martin Kaymer.
"It's certainly different to the days when Tiger had such a big lead ... but I think we are less fussed about it than everyone else," said No. 2-ranked Donald, who could leapfrog Westwood by winning the World Match Play Championship in Casares, Spain, this week.
Holding such a slim lead, Westwood knows he's there to be shot at each week but the 38-year-old Englishman is taking it all in his stride.
"Everything I read is, 'So-and-so could go past Lee Westwood.' Unfortunately that's how it is when you're No. 1," he said.
"You can only go one way. There is never a line where it says, 'Lee Westwood can go past ...' because there is nobody in front of me.
"I just have to live with it and I'm not really worried about it. We are all out here with the purpose of trying to win golf tournaments really."
Westwood, who spent 17 weeks at No. 1 from October to February before regaining it from Kaymer last month, knows he'll keep hold of top spot if he makes the final at the Finca Cortesin course in southern Spain.
If he's eliminated in the semifinals, Donald can move to No. 1 by winning the tournament. Third-ranked Kaymer will go to No. 1 if he wins the tournament and Westwood doesn't qualify for the last four.
Friendly rivalry
With all three players part of Europe's Ryder Cup-winning team of 2010, it's very much the friendliest of rivalries.
"It's obviously a great accolade to be No. 1 - I would love to be No. 1 - but certainly it's something I'm not really thinking about," said Donald, who has never topped the rankings.
"I think No. 1 is more up for grabs now for many people. Obviously week to week, it seems like it's between the three of us the last couple of months but certainly there's people lurking behind who can get in the mix as well. It's just something added to the mix, something to shoot for. Just something to be interested in for the fans."
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