Well, it happened. It took a lot longer than most of us had thought. Or did it? It really doesn't matter anymore because a number is, well, just a number. Don't tell that to Lee Westwood who is now basking in the spotlight as the new number one golfer in the world. Go ahead Lee, repeat that sentence as much as you want, because you deserve it.
From golfing oblivion to number one, Westwood not only transformed his golf game, he transformed his physique. Before Tiger Woods, the words exercise and golf were hard to find in the same sentence. Tiger came along, said "hello world," and literally changed the face of golf. Working out became cool, and chicks dug the long ball. Thats exactly what Westwood needed, exercise and a change of attitude. With his game in the dumps and his world ranking dropping faster than the greens at Augusta, he had to do something.
Seven years ago, Westwood was ranked 266th in the world and was watching the young guns of golf pass him by. He changed, and so did his game. Slowly but surely, Westwood found his name back on the leader board of some big events, which holds more weight on the world ranking. With the rise of young stars like Dustin Johnson, Martin Kaymer, Rory McIlroy and Hunter Mahan, and throw in the age of technology, Westwood had some motivation. Speaking of motivation, Tiger will now be motivated to get his crown back because there's nothing more than he hates than being in second place.
Rankings are a funny thing. On paper it says Tiger is #1, but we all knew he wasn't playing like the #1 player in the world. For a long time. But who was? Ernie Els found his top form again. Paul Casey played his way into the conversation. Do I dare say Phil Mickelson? After his emotional win at The Masters, he struggled through the summer and had a chance at #1 but couldn't quite get it done. He wants it too much. He needs to just let it happen.
So after all of what happened this year, what exactly did we learn? In April, we learned the heart of a man and the importance of his family can provide enough strength to overcome lightening fast greens. Five words: Six. Iron. Through. The. Trees. In June, we learned that #14 at Pebble Beach made touring pros weep, and that drinking Guinness really can help you win a major. In July, we learned over four days how many broadcasters can mispronounce Oosthuizen. Louis dominated. That is all. In August, we learned the actual definition of a bunker, and that it may or may not actually be a bunker. Golfers beware. Oh, and Dustin Johnson will win a major very, very soon.
