Posted: 28 Feb 2011 12:56 PM PST

Remember about a half-dozen years ago when the world of golf was shrouded by the shadow of Tiger Woods, which had grown so large that the group of Woods' potential (and hoped for) challengers ballooned to five? At first it was Phil, then Ernie, then Phil and Ernie plus Retief and Vijay and maybe Adam Scott.

Now, like Big Ten, the conference of players who could conceivably be considered the best in the world at any one moment has expanded. Fortunately for the sport, the rankings conversation contains Tiger Woods despite now ailing at 5th on the world ranking ladder.

Unfortunately – and like the poached Big XII – for Woods, he is not the name of the tip of the tongue when asked who is the best in the world.

On Saturday evening, Marin Kaymer cemented his place as the 14th player to be ranking in the top spot in the 25-year history of the Official World Golf Ranking with a win in his semifinal match at the WGC Accenture Match Play against Bubba Watson.

He promptly then lost in the final match of the event to Luke Donald, propelling a player who has only now won twice in the last five years to third in the ranking. In the process, Donald disposed Woods from his third spot in the prior ranking, and Graeme McDowell squeezed in ahead of Woods, too, at the four-spot.

The consistency of the top four in the world is outstanding over the past two years and, simply, that is why there are four Euros atop the ranking for the first time in 19 years.

Do not be confused, though. The top four – hell, the top twenty – players in the world are not there because any of them are more dominant than the others. Suddenly, the world of golf has been completely transformed from a theocracy worshiping Tiger Woods to an oligarchy of conspiring strong players to take turns as the world's best player right now.

Among the newly minted top four in the Official World Golf Ranking, the new No. 1 Kaymer has amassed the most wins since 2009 with seven victories. To put that in perspective compared to the prior Woods Epoch, Tiger had six wins alone in 2009. (That's also a sign of how far Woods has fallen.)

With Woods unable to avoid collisions with plant life, though, Kaymer is the king of the sport at the moment. The Germanator, though, has struggled to supplant former No. 1 Lee Westwood for the top ranking to this point. Having had opportunities since late last year to do so – and capitalize upon the hottest run of his short career – it took a tournament where Kaymer never saw Westwood for him to do it.

Kaymer's record over the last two-and-a-half years certainly suggest a career trajectory filled with more accolades, titles and major victories, but the 26-year-old has repeatedly said that he was uncertain if he was ready to be No. 1. He may be the best closer in the game today, according to Retief Goosen, but he appears shy to do so with the spotlight on him.

Part of that is Kaymer's nature. He is a quiet guy, more of an outsider compared to the clan of running buddies who dominate the European resurgence – both on the course and, apparently, on Twitter. In this two-year discussion of the Sharks and the Jets, Kaymer – for lack of a better comparison to West Side Story – is Maria. He is the vision of what could be in golf, the future dominance that may have already slipped through Tiger Woods' hands.

The problem is that few golfers – a few per generation, really – are able to take hold of the sport for some lengthy period of time in their twenties and early 30s. Arnie Palmer did it in 1960. Jack Nicklaus stole it from him not too long after. Then came Tom Watson. Seve took it from him. Faldo was next. Then an older Norman. And then Tiger.

In the SAT analogy section, is Kaymer the correct answer as the next to own the throne?

Maybe, but at this stage of his career, not permanently. Though King Kaymer rolls very alliteratively off of the tongue, there are far too many legit challengers to for the top spot in the world rankings to declare a new era in golf upon us.

Donald, apparently, is prepared to make a claim. Lee Westwood won't dip some 200 spots in the world ranking unlike last time he reached the apex of the sport. Graeme McDowell – the man of 2010 – is seemingly flying under the radar right now. Bubba Watson is working the ball and putting better than he ever has and is a real threat (no lie) to become the next American to top the world ranking. Then there's always Tiger, if he gets his act together.

And that short discussion leaves out Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, Ian Poulter and Matt Kuchar. It excludes Alvaro Quiros, Paul Casey and Dustin Johnson – a familiar name in 2010 who, quickly, is turning into a real-time cautionary tale for Kaymer to avoid.

What the sport wanted for the last decade is here. The challengers to Tiger were born, bred and are now in action. Like Pinky and The Brain never could, they're taking over the world.

While the revolution may be happening while our Napoleon is on Elba, it is here – and there is no clear winner yet. And that is what has golf in a renaissance.

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Golf-Euro Tour chief salutes 'staggering' Donald win

Posted: 28 Feb 2011 10:02 AM PST

By Tony Jimenez

LONDON, Feb 28 (Reuters) - European Tour chief executive George O'Grady has hailed Luke Donald's maiden World Golf Championship (WGC) victory as a "staggering" achievement.

The Briton rocketed from ninth to third in the world rankings after capping a brilliant week by beating Ryder Cup team mate Martin Kaymer 3 & 2 in Sunday's Accenture Match Play final at Dove Mountain in Arizona.

"He (Donald) didn't play the 18th hole all week and his standard of play was staggering," O'Grady told Reuters in an interview on Monday.

The 33-year-old Englishman started out by crushing Charley Hoffman 6 & 5 before beating Edoardo Molinari 2 & 1. He then polished off Matteo Manassero 3 & 2 and Ryan Moore 5 & 4 before scoring another 6 & 5 win over Matt Kuchar in the semi-finals.

O'Grady said the runs to the final of Donald and new world number one Martin Kaymer of Germany would give another big boost to the European Tour after a spectacular season in 2010.

In 2010, Kaymer won the U.S. PGA Championship and Graeme McDowell the U.S. Open, Lee Westwood rose to world number one and Europe beat the United States in the Ryder Cup.

"It was a tremendous achievement to get two of our players in the final last week," said O'Grady. "It will give great confidence and self-belief to the tour.

SPECIAL GOLFERS

"Martin, Lee, Luke and Graeme are now the top four in the world rankings and they are all pretty special golfers.

"We have actually got six in the top eight including Paul Casey at seven and Rory McIlroy at eight. That's a tremendous achievement for the tour—there are no two ways about it."

O'Grady paid special tribute to the dedication of the leading European contingent.

"The workrate of all these players and the fitness levels are tremendous," he explained. "Luke had not won in America for a few years (since the 2006 Honda Classic) but he's good enough now to win any week he plays.

"He has certainly worked hard. The work ethic of the lot of them is phenomenal and I think they're all reaping their just rewards.

"But nobody will be slacking off. There is healthy competition at the top and I look forward to catching up with them all when I go to the WGC-Cadillac Championship in Miami next week."

In the meantime, the continuing success of Europe's leading golfers will do no harm to O'Grady and his team in the never-ending quest for new sponsors and financial backers.

"I think sponsors see we are unearthing new talent like the McIlroys, the Manasseros, some young Spanish players, some young British players," said the tour supremo.

"The national federations are also strong and there are initiatives in all of our developing countries. They are seeing what these guys have achieved and are saying, 'We can do it too'."

(Editing by Ed Osmond. To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Golf-Kaymer and Donald enhance European ranking dominance

Posted: 27 Feb 2011 06:02 PM PST

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

MARANA, Arizona, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Helped by stellar play from Luke Donald and Martin Kaymer at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, these are heady times for European golf with the continent occupying the top four spots in the rankings.

German Kaymer took over as world number one from Lee Westwood in the latest rankings issued on Monday with Westwood second, fellow Briton Donald third and Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell fourth.

American former world number one Tiger Woods dropped to fifth, his lowest ranking since the week before he won the 1997 U.S. Masters.

"European golf has been great," Kaymer told reporters after being beaten 3&2 by Donald in Sunday's Match Play final at Dove Mountain.

"And for us to make golf even more popular in the world, it's fantastic to have four Europeans up there. It was always Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson and now there are four Europeans up there, so it's good."

For the first time in nearly 19 years, Europeans fill the top four positions in the global pecking order.

That feat has not been accomplished since Britons Ian Woosnam and Nick Faldo and Spaniards Jose Maria Olazabal and Seve Ballesteros led the way on March 15, 1992.

Asked if he felt the top of the rankings would continue to be volatile over the coming months, Kaymer replied: "I'm sure Tiger and Phil, they will chase us up there.

"But the guys who are up there, they are very consistent, good players, so I can see them staying there for a while."

UNPRECEDENTED RUN

Englishman Westwood ended Woods's unprecedented 281-week reign at the top on Nov. 1 before his own 17-week run was halted by Kaymer.

Donald, who climbed from ninth to a career-high third in the rankings by winning his first World Golf Championships title on Sunday, has relished Europe's recent success at the highest level of the game.

"We've really had a purple patch in world golf," he said. "Having Lee become number one a few months ago, now Martin at number one. Graeme has been playing great."

Europeans won two of last year's four majors with McDowell clinching the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and Kaymer lifting the PGA Championship.

"Whether I deserve number three in the world, I don't know," Donald added. "But certainly in terms of my work ethic and wanting it, then I do deserve it."

Asked why he felt he perhaps did not deserve to be ranked third, Donald replied: "Number nine to number three seems like a reasonably big jump. I feel like I'm good enough to be number three.

"But I guess popular opinion would not say that just because of my record and the fact that I haven't won that much," added the three-times PGA Tour champion.

"Even Lee Westwood being number one, he got criticised because he hadn't won a major, he hadn't won too many events in the last couple of years but his consistency was good enough to get to number one.

"And I think there's something to be said for that, to be competing week-in and week-out, being under that strain. I know winning is a big deal and it's the biggest deal, but being consistent is also important. I think Lee showed that."

(Editing by Steve Ginsburg; To comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Golf Zone

Monday, February 28, 2011

“Ballengee: Revolving door of No. 1s shows parity in golf” plus 2 more

“Ballengee: Revolving door of No. 1s shows parity in golf” plus 2 more

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