No matter what the result in today's final between Martin Kaymer and Luke Donald, the domination of the European Tour in world golf will reach a high it hasn't enjoyed in nearly 20 years when the rankings come out late tonight.
Kaymer managed to beat an in form Bubba Watson 1 up while Luke Donald simply put on a clinic, demolishing the leading money earner last year on the PGA tour Matt Kuchar 6&5
europeantour.com Kaymer’s one up victory over Watson, the man he also beat in a play-off to win the US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits last year, was sufficient to propel him to the Number One spot – almost 25 years to the month since his highly-decorated countryman, Bernhard Langer, became the first person, and only other German, to head the newly-created Ranking in April 1986.
Kaymer’s elevation caps a remarkable week for European golf, with Europeans now occupying at least the top three places in the Ranking – and the top four if Donald were to prevail in today’s final – for the first time in 19 years when Ian Woosnam, Sir Nick Faldo, José Maria Olazábal and Seve Ballesteros filled the leading four positions. While Kaymer and Westwood will switch places, Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell will move to a career-high third place unless Donald wins, in which case he would occupy third and the Ulsterman would take fourth
Kaymer's rise to #1 has been meteoric Since his first win on the Challenge Tour in August 2006 he has gone from 1249th in the world to 480th. He ended 2006 in 164th place then made rapid strides to 76th (2007), 25th (2008), 13th(2009) and 3rd at the end of 2010, the season in which he made his Major breakthrough and played in his first Ryder Cup.
He will have a tough time beating Luke Donald today. The Ryder Cup star, arguably the world's best match player, had already impressed with a 5 and 4 win over Moore, before going on get the better of Kuchar 6 and 5.
He was six-up at the turn having birdied all but two of the first nine holes and, after going seven-up on the tenth, could even afford to drop two straight holes before an excellent approach shot on the 13th allowed him to pick up another birdie and take the match. The score equalled the 6 and 5 win he achieved over Charley Hoffman in the first round.
Luke was born in Hamel Hempstead a little satellite town NW of London, ended up with a scholarship at Northwestern University in Chicago where he still has a home today and if you didn't know he won both the Fred Haskins and Jack Nicklaus awards as America's best collegiate golfer in 1999.
You may remember it was Ian Poulter beating Paul Casey in an all Euro final last year as well.
I await Johnny Miller's spin on this, this afternoon, weather permitting...
PGA tour Mayakoba Classic in Cancun
David Hearn is T43 69 70 69 208 -5
The leader is Johnson Wagner 69 66 65 200 -13.
LPGA Tour HSBC Tournament of Champions in Singapore
Has just finished and veteran Aussie Karrie Webb 70 66 70 69 275 -13 is your winner.. Yani Tseng trying to win 4 in a row was 3rd at -10..
Alena Sharp got better as the week went on 80,76,74,70 300 +12
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