Merry Christmas; Lee Westwood remains #1 with win in South Africa

Merry Christmas; Lee Westwood remains #1 with win in South Africa

For Graeme McDowell and Lee Westwood, contenders for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award later this month, the weekend could not have gone any better and their successes are further reflected in the latest World Ranking.

Westwood went into the Nedbank Golf Challenge knowing that Tiger Woods had a chance to overtake him as the World Number One should the American win his own tournament – the Chevron World Challenge – and Westwood finish outside the top two in Sun City. Westwood’s response? To win by eight strokes and extend his lead over Woods to 0.8 points at the top of the Official World Golf Ranking, stamping his authority at the top of the order.

McDowell’s fourth win of a dream season, where he denied Woods in his own backyard by winning a play-off for the Chevron World Challenge, elevated him to a career high of seventh in the World Ranking, a climb of four places from last week. McDowell started the year in 39th place but his US Open success coupled with victories in the Celtic Manor Wales Open, Andalucia Valderrama Masters and now the Chevron World Challenge, have lifted him to his highest position in the World.

There are currently six Europeans in the top ten of the Official World Golf Ranking with Westwood top, Martin Kaymer third, McDowell seventh, Paul Casey eighth, Luke Donald ninth and Ian Poulter tenth.