subject: AP's blog: you let me down, Martin! [print this page] AP's blog: you let me down, Martin! AP's blog: you let me down, Martin!
Lee Westwood, Tiger Woods and Martin Kaymer locked horns over the weekend in an epic battle to the death. The winner would be crowned world number one, looking down on the rivalling pair as they were consigned to occupying the lowly depths of second and third place.
The Englishman rolled home (Left Handed TaylorMade Burner SuperLaunch Irons)a testing birdie putt at the 18th, hoisting himself into golf's elitist club as only the 13th golfer to become world number one.
I'd loved to have begun reporting on Westwood's rise to best in the world like this, but sadly it turned out to be rather anti-climatic.
Kaymer blew his chance at the Andalucia Masters, and the other two weren't even in action as the complicated computer system which dictates the world rankings decided we needed (TaylorMade Burner 2.0 Iron Set)a change of face at the helm.It's the football equivalent of being crowned champions because your rival team lost. It's just not the same as winning to take the title.
The Worksop man even revealed he was in the supermarket when caddie Billy Foster called to tell his boss the good news.
"Cheers Billy, but I'm trying to decide between Frosties and Cornflakes here," he probably didn't reply (TaylorMade Burner SuperFast TP Driver).
There is little doubt the 37-year-old has earned his place as the first English world number one since Nick Faldo in the mid-nineties, but any one of four could have been there but for a different result here or there.
Woods' torrid year on and off the course has been a constant cause of embarrassment and concern for the American, while Phil Mickelson won the Masters before deciding second best suited him just fine.
Kaymer has been the real success story of the year, winning in Abu Dhabi, Whistling Straits (TaylorMade R9 SuperDeep TP Driver), Holland and Scotland to storm from 13th to being a whisker away from Tiger's throne.
As happy as I am for Westwood, I was genuinely hoping to see Kaymer stand over a tricky six-footer on the 18th in Valderrama and either sink it to win and become world number one, or miss it and miss out.
Because it's moments like that which make this game so damn exciting.It's so much better for the fans, the writers, and the sport in general when players are battling for their place on the prestigious list of world number ones.
And with Westwood, Kaymer, Woods and Mickelson (Taylormade Burner SuperFast Driver) all within half a ranking point of each other, a quick-fire change after this week's WGC-HSBC Champions event, in which all four are playing, becomes a distinct possibility.Let's hope for a few twists and turns.
