The world's No. 1 ranked golfer doesn't think he has anything to prove. At least that's what Lee Westwood has been saying.Of course, he could be wrong. Rarely is there a downside to living up to expectations.
After 281 consecutive weeks of Tiger Woods atop the World Golf Rankings, the newly anointed Westwood on Thursday played his first round as the game's new big cheese. He was sharp.
Westwood may be correct when insisting one round as world No. 1 means little. It'll take at least four before the Englishman can move within 279 weeks of Woods' record streak -- or have the top spot quickly taken away.
One of the two options will happen Sunday. This week's World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions being played in Shanghai, China, has drawn the world's top four ranked players.
Joining Westwood in the field are No. 2 Woods, No. 3 Martin Kaymer, the PGA Champion from Germany, and No. 4 Phil Mickelson. A win by any of the four can earn next week's No. 1 ranking.
So, whether Westwood has something to prove or not, he does have something to defend.
"Well, I don't think I need to reinforce why I'm world No. 1," he said. "I think you get there as a result of having good performances. But it's nice to go out there and show everybody that there is a particular reason why I got to that stage. I think I did that today.
"But it's only the first round of tournament and my main focus is on trying to win. So I didn't really go out there with any particular thought to performing like the world No. 1 really."
It just turned out that way.
Westwood finished Thursday's opening round with back-to-back birdies to shoot a 6-under 66 that puts him one shot back of Italy's Francesco Molinari. Woods, suggesting he may be ready to climb out of the slump that took away the No.1 ranking, finished with three consecutive birdies on the way to 68 and is also very much in the chase.
Golf is about to wrap up its very long 2010 season, and now it finally gets captivating. Go figure.
"The whole idea is to win golf tournaments," Woods said. "That's why we enter them. I got to No. 1 in the world by winning golf tournaments, and I've had that sustainability for a number of years by doing that. That's how you have to do it. Unfortunately I haven't done it this year. So hence, I've dropped down to No. 2."
The World Golf Rankings are an interesting creation. Basically, it means nothing. No. 1 does not get you invited to the BCS title game. It does not earn a first-round bye into the playoffs. It doesn't even get Marriott Rewards bonus points.
"Nobody is out-and-out world No. 1. I think that's partly to do with Tiger not having played quite so well this year, and partly to do with Tiger having made everybody else elevate their games. "
-- Lee Westwood But it does shine a bright light and provide world golf notoriety.
"I think the World Rankings are reflective of how competitive world golf is at the moment," Westwood said. "Nobody is out-and-out world No. 1. I think that's partly to do with Tiger not having played quite so well this year, and partly to do with Tiger having made everybody else elevate their games.
"He's a victim almost of his own brilliance; that, you know, we have all had to work harder and we have closed the gap I guess."
Or has Woods simply slipped that far back to the pack?
Certainly, Westwood's route to No. 1 is a curious one. This week's event is only his second stroke-play competition in three months, and only his second round of golf since Oct. 10.
Plagued by a calf muscle injury, he missed the PGA Championship and barely returned in time to represent Europe in the Ryder Cup, but then injured an ankle and has been limping since.
"I didn't really know what to expect," Westwood said Thursday. "I haven't played and I haven't practiced much recently. One stroke-play event since the Open Championship is a bit under-golfed, I suppose.
"The target was just to go out there and enjoy myself and see what happened. I'm the kind of player that historically has needed a lot of golf or needed to play consecutive weeks to get some form together. But in the time off, it's not like I wasn't sort of in the gym working out and training."
That was No. 1.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Finally a role model with character.