Luke Donald scales the heights to become the world’s number one golfer in play off
Last updated 5/30/2011 12:20:20 PM
Luke Donald becomes the world’s number one golfer
It was one of those days in sport that no one could plan in advance as the world's numbers one and two battled it out in a play off for the PGA Championship at Wentworth.
How suitable it was that two Europeans – in fact two Englishmen – should enter the extra hole knowing the winner would not only take the prestigious title but also lead the rest of the world.
In the end it was Luke Donald who beat Lee Westwood to overtake his countryman as the world number one.
The 33-year-old Donald, truly the man in form, won at the first play-off hole when Westwood found the water in front of the 18th green.
Donald hit 70 to Westwood's 68 to tie on six under, while yet another Englishman, Simon Dyson (69), was third at four under.
On climbing one spot to the top of the rankings for the first time, England's Donald said: "Sounds pretty good, doesn't it?"
The American-based golfer added: "It's something I'll be very proud of. Obviously, there's a lot of work still to do and hopefully there'll be much more to come, but I'll savour this.
"It's a lot of responsibility and I'm looking forward to the challenge of being number one and hopefully I can hold onto it for a few more weeks. I know Lee and Martin [Kaymer] will be chasing me hard.
"To come through in these circumstances in one of the biggest tournaments in the world, going head-to-head with Lee is pretty special. It doesn't get much better.
"To win here with the top three in the world, top six out of seven, all of the Ryder Cuppers, all four major champions, and to beat them in stroke play feels pretty good."
The second-ranked Donald, who has been vying for top spot for a number of weeks, only needed to finish above Westwood to take the reins, as long as world number three Martin Kaymer finished outside the top two.
But with Kaymer struggling down the field, the final day was set up for a duel between the world's two best-rated players.
Donald, who was second at Wentworth last year and won the WGC Match Play in February, began tied for the lead with the brilliant 18-year-old Italian Matteo Manassero, with Westwood two back in the penultimate group.
But Donald, who fought back from a messy outward 40 with an inward 32 on Saturday to bring back memories of his first-round 64, was soon in trouble again. His opening drive went deep into the trees on the right and he could only hack out sideways, eventually running up a bogey, followed by another at the short second after a poor chip.
Manassero's challenge was effectively finished after a double bogey on the third and Westwood joined Donald in a share of the lead with a birdie at the fourth. From then on the lead was a two-horse race.
"I played lovely all day," said Westwood. "The reason I finished second was because I didn't take my chances on 17 and 18, not because I lost the play-off."
Donald admitted: "I felt a bit bad for Lee. I knew it would be a tough play-off. Lee's a hell of a player and doesn't back down."
Three-time PGA champion and eight-time European number one Colin Montgomerie carded 68 to end in the group sharing seventh at one under for his best finish since a tie for second in the 2008 French Open.
Manassero, already a two-time winner on Tour after turning pro in 2010, ended with a 75 to also finish one under.