World Number 1

Only one Keano

It appears Lee Westwood will become World Number 1 by the end of the month even though he is unlikely to play until end of November.

With Westwood injuries issues, Mickelson's poor form and Woods struggles and with lots of pretenders to the throne (D Johnson, Kaymer, McIlroy, Stricker, Furyk etc....), who do we see as the World Number One in 2011???

whatawaster

Kaymer has got to be the main contender. Phenomenal achievement to win 3 in a row, including a major

Dolph Starbeam

whatawaster wrote: »

Kaymer has got to be the main contender. Phenomenal achievement to win 3 in a row, including a major

ye its got to be kaymer, about time someone took over the number 1 spot.

JerryHandbag

Yep its gotta be Kaymer sometime in 2011. He's just so ice cool, a birdie machine and young enough to dominate the game for years too. Nice bloke too

elbows666

He is up to 4th now. He certainly is the real deal. He would have got there a bit sooner only for getting injured last season (Skiing I think).

http://www.officialworldgolfranking.com/home/default.sps

Dolph Starbeam

elbows666 wrote: »

He is up to 4th now. He certainly is the real deal. He would have got there a bit sooner only for getting injured last season (Skiing I think).

http://www.officialworldgolfranking.com/home/default.sps

Injured his ankle go-karting, before the ryder cup he also joked he was going go-karting to relax :pac:

Martin567

Only one Keano wrote: »

It appears Lee Westwood will become World Number 1 by the end of the month even though he is unlikely to play until end of November.

With Westwood injuries issues, Mickelson's poor form and Woods struggles and with lots of pretenders to the throne (D Johnson, Kaymer, McIlroy, Stricker, Furyk etc....), who do we see as the World Number One in 2011???

Westwood is apparently guaranteed to overtake Woods on 31 October. However, this does not mean he will be Number 1. Kaymer is playing the Andalucia Masters that week. I would imagine a top 2 finish would give him the top position as he is not far behind as it stands.

The HSBC event in Shanghai the following week should be good as Woods, Mickelson, Westwood (fitness permitting) & Kaymer will all be playing. Any one of them could be No 1 after that tournament. Kaymer has to be favourite to be the year end No 1 due to form, fitness and the number of events he still has to play this year. It's some achievement for a guy who has only been on Tour for around 4 years.

durkadurka

There's evidence that Tiger's game is coming back to him - decentish performances in the fedex, a blistering singles round in the Ryder cup.

So I expect any new number 1's reign to be short lived. Wouldn't surprise me if Kaymer and Westwood both got there in the next couple of months.

There's plenty of big money and ranking points to be won in the next 7 weeks and the Americans are idle.

Only one Keano

Martin567 wrote: »

Westwood is apparently guaranteed to overtake Woods on 31 October. However, this does not mean he will be Number 1. Kaymer is playing the Andalucia Masters that week. I would imagine a top 2 finish would give him the top position as he is not far behind as it stands.

The HSBC event in Shanghai the following week should be good as Woods, Mickelson, Westwood (fitness permitting) & Kaymer will all be playing. Any one of them could be No 1 after that tournament. Kaymer has to be favourite to be the year end No 1 due to form, fitness and the number of events he still has to play this year. It's some achievement for a guy who has only been on Tour for around 4 years.

Good spot about Kaymer's opportunity to get there before Westwood. Personally think Westwood deserves it on his consistency in the majors over last 2 years. He's been top 3 in 4 of his last 7 majors and just an awful pity he hasn't been able to get one over the line. Agreed it has been some achivement by Kaymer to be right up there in only 4 years on tour. Funny as thought he was Europe's worst player in Ryder Cup in the bits I saw and felt he was carried by Westwood and Poulter and got thumped by Dustin Johnson in the singles. Still you've got to give him serious credit for his last 3 wins especially last week and USPGA.

Also think we may see a few surprize contendors next year as doubt if anyone thought Kaymer would have had such a great chance to be World Number 1 this time last year. Wouldn't be surprized if any one of McIlroy, McDowell, Donald, Poutler, Fowler, Johnson, Ishikawa, Kim etc.....have a 2011 like Kaymer did this year and get themselves in contention for World Number 1.

Who knows what will happen to Tiger and Phil but doubt either will be as dominant as the top 2 best players as before.

Exciting times ahead!:)

fatherbuzcagney

hope kaymer gets the no 1, i think he is a all round better player and westwood has choked every time he has had chance to win a major , cant see him ever winning a major unless its handed to him.

sky88

id rather kaymer gets the number 1 spot but still think the points system is stupid really dobt see how westwood can not play but get the number 1 spot sounds stupid to me

Revolution9

I'd predict a few golfers (Westwood, Kaymer) will share short lived reigns at the top until Woods returns to form and sits on his perch for another long period of time.


Pity about Harrington ruining his game by reconstructing his swing and all that. He would've been a contender.

Oliver1985

Would love to see Kaymer , Dustin Johnson is a tool , not a fan at all!!

Golfgraffix

sky88 wrote: »

id rather kaymer gets the number 1 spot but still think the points system is stupid really dobt see how westwood can not play but get the number 1 spot sounds stupid to me

Its all about events over the past number of months/years (2 i think) As time moves on the events that Woods did well in no longer count, as he has been poor over the past 12 months these event rather than the older ones start to count more towards his position.

That is why Westwood is moving up, even though he and woods are not playing.

JerryHandbag

Martin567 wrote: »

It's some achievement for a guy who has only been on Tour for around 4 years.

Certainly is, from challenge tour to Ryder Cupper and major champion in 4 years. Its a great advert for the Challenge tour.

elbows666

Kaymer is sheer class, have made nice money backing him. He always seems to make the crucial putts and has learned from his mistakes. In the British open he didn't eat at the right times and his concentration went. (dont think he would have won it but it might have been a different story with him v's oosty in the final round)

aster99

how long has Woods been No.1 ?

JerryHandbag

aster99 wrote: »

how long has Woods been No.1 ?

Since June 2005

aster99

And was it Vijay singh was there then

thegen

If Kaymer wins in Valderamma he goes to No1.

Nuri Sahin

JerryHandbag wrote: »

Since June 2005

Can't believe it's what, 6 years since Vijay was world no.1. I remember the 04 season quite vividly and he was sensational that season.

I feel sorry for Westwood as he'd no doubt be closer if not already world no.1 but Kaymer fully deserves it.

durkadurka

I wonder how much this matters to these guys? I suppose its nice and all that but they probably all recognise that they're just keeping the seat warm until tiger gets his act together. Of course Tigers problems are of his own making. I suppose its a notch on the bedpost, so to speak.

Kaymer seems to be in for a banner year. Probably going to win the R2D, good chance of getting to world number 1, a decent Ryder Cup and a PGA win, along with a hat-trick of wins.

Golfer of the year for me, if he can finish the job.

ballybunionlad

Oliver1985 wrote: »

Would love to see Kaymer , Dustin Johnson is a tool , not a fan at all!!

Please explain why Dustin Johnson is a tool.

He seems like a genuine guy from what I've seen of him.

You must have had your life savings on him at Whistling Straits or something.

Oliver1985

ballybunionlad wrote: »

Please explain why Dustin Johnson is a tool.

He seems like a genuine guy from what I've seen of him.

You must have had your life savings on him at Whistling Straits or something.

Sorry for upsetting you, I just dont like him!!!! :eek:

Speak Now

I'd love to see Kaymer pip Westwood to number 1. Best player in the world currently. You have to go down to 37th in the rankings (Cink) to find a player with less ranking points than Tiger in 2010 so he's going to have to have a great 2011 to have any hope of wrestling back the number 1 spot after he eventually loses it.

9 of the current worlds top 15 have yet to win a major, goes to show how hard they are to come by even for the best.

Whyner

Oliver1985 wrote: »

Sorry for upsetting you, I just dont like him!!!! :eek:

Great explanation :rolleyes:

I also think he seems a nice guy

Only one Keano

Jerry Seinfeld wrote: »

I'd love to see Kaymer pip Westwood to number 1. Best player in the world currently. You have to go down to 37th in the rankings (Cink) to find a player with less ranking points than Tiger in 2010 so he's going to have to have a great 2011 to have any hope of wrestling back the number 1 spot after he eventually loses it.

9 of the current worlds top 15 have yet to win a major, goes to show how hard they are to come by even for the best.

I would prefer to see Westwood get it. I think he deserves it for all the hard work he has put in to transform his game, fitness, mentality etc.....and if he does get it, it could prove great motivation for some of his talented peers (Clarke, Bjorn, Harrington etc....) to find a way to get back to their previous standards. It also would be a great advertisment for where hard-work and dedication can get you.

Having watched the Ryder Cup and the way that Kaymer appeared in awe of Westwood and how much of the senior partner Westwood was also indicated to me that he is on a different level to Kaymer even though you can't deny Kaymer his success in the big tournaments this year.

I just hope Westwood delivers a major win next year to banish any arguments that he doesn't have the bottle to finish one off. When he first came on the scene he was a great closer out of tournaments so there's no doubt in my mind that that ability still exists.

JerryHandbag

Just looking at Sky text there and some are saying Westwood cant be classed as a true No.1 (should he make it) because he hasnt won a major. Harsh, I still think he'll win one before he's 40, he contends in so many of them nowadays its bound to happen.

I'm a big Harrington fan but I feel he missed his only chance to become world no.1 back in 2008 after winning 3 majors. He looked like the biggest threat to Tiger at the time, but he kept fidgeting trying to improve. Should have just kept going and surely he would've gone close to no.1 by now. Hopefully one day we will have a world no.1 from this island in Rory McIlroy

durkadurka

JerryHandbag wrote: »

Just looking at Sky text there and some are saying Westwood cant be classed as a true No.1 (should he make it) because he hasnt won a major. Harsh, I still think he'll win one before he's 40, he contends in so many of them nowadays its bound to happen.

I'm a big Harrington fan but I feel he missed his only chance to become world no.1 back in 2008 after winning 3 majors. He looked like the biggest threat to Tiger at the time, but he kept fidgeting trying to improve. Should have just kept going and surely he would've gone close to no.1 by now. Hopefully one day we will have a world no.1 from this island in Rory McIlroy

Sky waffle IMO.
It's a statistical thing not a subjective judgement. He's either statistically number 1 or not. Noone is saying this means he's player of the year, I'm not sure it even means he's the best player in the world. Kaymer probably is at this moment.

It means he has the best weighted average performance over the last two years, depending on how recent and how large the event was. Divided by a minimum number of 40 events. Sexy eh?

Congrats to him if he gets there, many fine golfers didn't. But In a way its meaningless. I would venture Westwood would trade number one status for a major....