Whoops ...#4 World's #1, Westwood or Kaymer ??

 I jumped from #5 to #3 so  here is #4..

The play of Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer this year makes it possible to debate who the best player in the world is as we end 2010.

Here is what the official rankings say based on the 2 year rolling points system

1 Lee Westwood, Eng 9.10 418.72 46 -6.23 0.00

2 Tiger Woods, USA 7.69 307.70 40 -7.56 0.00
3 Martin Kaymer, Deu 7.15 350.28 49 -5.52 0.00
4 Phil Mickelson, USA 6.55 281.53 43 -6.64 0.00
5 Graeme McDowell, Nir 6.11 330.06 54 -3.44 0.00
6 Jim Furyk, USA 6.10 280.54 46 -5.49 0.00
7 Steve Stricker, USA 5.97 256.84 43 -5.96 0.00
8 Paul Casey, Eng 5.77 259.81 45 -5.51 0.00
9 Luke Donald, Eng 5.57 306.10 55 -4.46 0.00
10 Rory McIlroy, Nir 5.50 302.40 55 -5.38 0.00
11 Ian Poulter, Eng 5.48 268.74 49 -4.06 0.00

However 2 things I can tell you. In actual playing terms Tiger is not in the world's top 50 right now, and my #4 story is the debate we have had all year over who the world's best player is as we move into 2011...

I say it's a toss up between Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer with honourable mention to Graeme McDowell and even Ian Poulter or Jim Futyk...

WESTWOOD

To sum it up best here is what europeantour.com wrote the night he became the world's #1

Lee Westwood’s ascension to the throne reserved for the world’s best golfer is testament to a devastating marriage of skill, mental fortitude, discipline and serious dedication.


The 37 year old Englishman’s journey to be ranked Number One on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) – the year after being crowned Europe’s Number One in The Race to Dubai - is one of astonishing consistency that has yielded the ultimate reward.

Westwood’s level of performance over the past 24 months (upon which the OWGR is based) has been simply the best on the planet and has made him only the fifth European to be ranked World Number One.

Of the 46 tournaments Westwood has played in, he has finished in the top ten an astonishing 24 times, including victories at the Dubai World Championship and Portugal Masters in 2009 - when he also tied third in The Open Championship and US PGA Championship - in addition to winning the 2010 St Jude Classic as well as finishing second at this year’s Masters Tournament and Open Championship

Since then of course he merely place 2nd at the WGC HSBC event in China, was 3rd in Dubai and won the Million dollar challenge in Sun City, and oh yes there was that little matter called the Ryder Cup..

KAYMER

Now the summation for this very rich 25 year old sensation from Germany from europeantour.com

Martin Kaymer became only the second German to be crowned European Number One after Bernhard Langer by winning The 2010 Race to Dubai.

Topping The Race to Dubai earned Kaymer an impressive bonus of €1,092,418 from a $7.5 million Bonus Pool that rewards the leading 15 money winners, taking his season’s earnings to €4,461,010 and surpassing Lee Westwood’s record of 12 months ago by over €200,000.

Kaymer might well have finished Number One last year but for an August go-kart accident in which he broke three toes and was put out of the game for two months.

He eventually finished third behind Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy, but started his season with victory at the Abu Dhabi Championship and then had a spell he will never forget.


Two months after McDowell had gone to Pebble Beach and become Europe's first US Open Champion since 1970 Kaymer won the US PGA Championship after a play-off with Bubba Watson, then added the KLM Open and Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on his next two starts.


The last of those came just six days after he had made his Ryder Cup debut - a winning debut, of course - so he could actually claim four triumphs in a row.

MCDOWELL, FURYK, POULTER

I have written already about Graeme's dream season yesterday, and he was so good he was named joint player of the year with Kaymer, but although he drove himself right to the wire he did just fall short of Martin in the Race to Dubai, so Kaymer gets the nod in my photo finish

Jim Furyk didn't win a major but the ultimate grinder chased down and caught Matt Kuchar to win the Tour Championship and the Fed Ex Cup, a great year to be sure, but the air is mighty thin where Westwood, Kaymer and McDowell are breathing.

Ian Poulter had a fabulous finish to his year 13th at the HSBC, 6th in Singapore, 1st in Hong Kong then 2nd in the finale in Dubai, and don't forget he started 2010, 2nd in Abu Dhabi then 1st at the WGC Accenture World Matchplay. and I expect him to continue his climb up the world rankings next year and indeed to challenge for a major.

# 1 ??

Well Poulter, Westwood and McDowell were all red hot right to the finish in Dubai and beyond at the Chevron and Sun City, but by the narrowest of margins I give the nod to Lee Westwood.

He is considered the best by his peers on both sides of the Atlantic, and he has not only been brilliant this year, but last as well and although he hasn't won one yet he has been in the top three, 6 of the last 9 majors and remember going into this years Ryder Cup he was unbeaten in 12 matches..

He has become the ultimate professional in his approach, preparation and dedication to golf and is thoroughly deserving of his official #1 ranking as well as mine..

Bryan Angus