Since 1987, only a select few have topped the Official World Golf Rankings. Of the 15 who have held that spot, their time ranges from Tom Lehman (1 week) to Tiger Woods (1 week short of 12 years). Two men in particular have dominated the rankings, Greg Norman and Woods, while 7 players’ combined reign only adds up to one of the 24 years for which the ranking has existed.
Few understand how the ranking works, and fewer agree with it. A player can seem to engineer his stability in the upper echelons by tapering his playing schedule, should he wish to. The fact is, few wish to do that. Everyone wants to be World Number One, but most golfers realise that you achieve that by playing good golf.
On Sunday, at Wentworth, Luke Donald achieved just that goal, becoming the 15thpayer to top the modern-day rankings, capping what has been a truly remarkable run of form.
No one can deny that Luke Donald is the form player in the world. He has finished in the top-10 in 15 of his last 17 tournaments, winning two. Not just any two. He conquered the world in March, taking down then Number One Martin Kaymer to win the Accenture World Matchplay, and on Sunday won the BMW PGA Championship, the European flagship event. To give some idea of the magnitude of this win, many Europeans rank this tournament higher than the Players Championship at Sawgrass, the self-styled “fifth major”.
Donald was always a consistent player – steady with his long game, and owning a deft touch around the greens. Having featured in the Ryder Cup in 2004 and 2006, his career then entered a doldrumic state for a couple of years, coinciding with an attempt to add to his length of the tee. Last year, we saw a resurgence as he returned to his natural game, and put many critics to bed when closing out a win in Madrid, just after finishing a shot shy in Wentworth. That win saw him embark on this most remarkable run of form.
Luke Donald has transformed from a consistently good player to a consistently great player. His proficiency around the greens and his measured temperament, alongside an accurate long game, make him a very difficult man to beat in any course, on any format. His win at Wentworth was a performance of a true great of the game – after shooting an incredible 64 on Thursday, the course bit back as the week went on, and on Saturday he ran up an ugly 5-over 40 on the front nine. Few players can manage themselves in this situation, when their game deserts them. For that is what happened – Luke Donald was missing fairways by aeons, and playing out of trees and shrubs. He kept his cool, made some putts, and came home in 32, to regain a share of the lead heading into Sunday. That was the nine holes where the tournament was won.
Throughout Sunday, and into the playoff, we were treated to an ideal ending. Donald went toe-to-toe with Westwood, knowing that whoever came out on top would finish the week as World Number One. I am a confirmed critic of Lee Westwood – I like him and think that he is an excellent player, but his route to the top spot was hardly the most magnificent. A flukey win in the U.S. last summer and a very consistent season saw him grasp the prize from a plummeting Tiger Woods. To be fair to Westwood, he faced added pressure since then, being questioned about his failure to win majors, and whether he should own the top spot. He stood up and performed earlier this year, capturing the Ballantines Championship. On Sunday, he had a chance to stamp his mark on the World Rankings again. He didn’t take it.
Whoever won that playoff would be a deserved World Number One, because of the pressure involved. They knew what was at stake, and Luke Donald made a birdie four to take the prize. Lee Westwood couldn’t close it out in 72 holes.
Does Donald still have more to achieve? Plenty. He’s never won a major championship, and there are many who feel that the best golfer in the world should have captured one of the four greatest prizes in golf. He will. His rocketing rise only began late last year, and we have already seen him turn in a top-6 finish at the Masters. He’s got the full package – a steady long game (if not all that long), a razor sharp touch around the greens, and the coolest head on tour. At 33, he’s hitting his straps now, and he’ll be around for a long time.
The Number One spot was dominated by Tiger Woods for most of the 2000s. It seems likely that it will be a much more fluid position now that his reign has ended – in the last six months it has been held by four players. A prize that was for so long unattainable is suddenly only a few wins away, and there’ll be plenty of players who have an eye on it. For now though, let us salute Luke Donald who, right now, is the best golfer in the world.
