Westwood number one target

GOLF:THE YO-YOING atop golf's official world rankings is providing confirmation of some sort of new order since Tiger Woods' decline, with Lee Westwood's return to the number one position – thanks in part to his win in the Indonesian Masters on Sunday and aided by Luke Donald's play-off defeat to Brandt Snedeker in the Heritage tournament on the US Tour some 13 hours later – probably as notable as the first time he reached the summit.

With four Europeans occupying places inside the world’s top-five, and any of them capable on a given week of taking the number one position, there is extra spice to the so-called regular tournaments on the respective circuits.

This week is no exception, with Westwood continuing his globe-trotting, to The Ballantines in South Korea, whilst fellow-Englishman Donald moves on to The Classic of New Orleans in his on-going quest to achieve a career target of being number one.

Graeme McDowell, too, has New Orleans on his mind. The 31-year-old Ulsterman – despite a disappointing weekend in Hilton Head, where back-to-back finishing rounds of 74s dropped down to tied-61st – has embarked on an intense schedule which will see him play five of the next six weeks ahead of a short break before his US Open defence.

As he put it, “it’s time to challenge the leaders again and I’m looking forward to the busy spell”.

Donald is also playing in New Orleans, aware the world number one spot is very much within his own grasp. Having lost out to Snedeker at the third play-off hole in The Heritage, when a win would have leapfrogged him above Westwood, Donald has adopted a philosophical approach to his personal quest to be golf’s top player. “I’ve still got time on my side,” he remarked.

In fact, Donald had gone into the final round in South Carolina fully aware a win would move him ahead of Westwood.

“It was hard to put that out of your mind, that’s for sure. But I will try and find the positives and move on to (New Orleans) . . . (to get to) number one is not the final goal. It’s a constant travel. You’re constantly moving forward in the game. To be number one would be great, but it’s not everything.

“It certainly would be a tick in the box and it would be something great to talk to the grandkids about in 30 years’ time and say that you were the best in the world. But I still have a lot of chances to do that.”

As it is, Westwood occupies the top spot in the sport, having regained the number one position from Germany’s Martin Kaymer. Westwood headlines the field at The Ballantines championship – joined by three other players from the world’s top-17, Dustin Johnson, Ernie Els and Ian Poulter – and has travelled on to Korea buoyed up by his win in Indonesia.

“I’ve never been to Seoul before and it’s always nice to experience new places and cultures, I’m really looking forward to it. Being top of the official world rankings makes me feel very proud,” said Westwood.

Peter Lawrie, who has moved up to 119th in the latest world rankings following his tied-second place finish behind Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts’ maiden tour win in the Volvo China Open on Sunday, is part of a five-strong Irish contingent competing in The Ballantines. The Dubliner is joined by Gareth Maybin, Shane Lowry, Michael Hoey and Paul McGinley.

Meanwhile, Irish golf tourism has pulled off a significant marketing coup in attracting the hit American television show Big Break to be hosted and filmed in Ireland.

This is the 16th series of the reality show which has a huge following stateside and endeavours to give wannabe professionals their big break.

In fact, Tommy “Two Gloves” Gainey, who finished third behind Snedeker and Donald in Hilton Head on Sunday last, first got his break on the show which led to him getting a Nationwide Tour card and, then, a full US Tour card. The show airs to 83 million households across the US on the Golf Channel.

In claiming the show will “showcase Ireland’s world-class golf to a huge audience of potential American golf holidaymakers,” Tourism Ireland’s Joe Byrne added: “It is a great coup and represents an extraordinary opportunity for the island of Ireland, for both golf and tourism.”

The K Club – host venue for the 2006 Ryder Cup – will be the base venue for the filming, which is due to start inside the next few weeks, with break-out visits to other venues, including Portmarnock, scheduled as contestants compete for their “big break”.