Westwood confirmed as new number one

Golf: Lee Westwood is the new world number one after Martin Kaymer failed to achieve the top-two finish required in the Andalucia…

Golf:Lee Westwood is the new world number one after Martin Kaymer failed to achieve the top-two finish required in the Andalucia Masters.

Kaymer needed to win or share second place with no more than one other player if he, rather than the absent Westwood, was to succeed Tiger Woods when the American's 281-week reign ends on Monday.

But the US PGA champion never threatened to do so and was outside the top 20 when he signed for a closing 75 at Valderrama today.

That means Westwood will travel to China for the WGC-HSBC Champions event as Europe's first number one since Nick Faldo in 1994.

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And the 37-year-old will come face to face with the man he has deposed in Shanghai when play gets under way on Thursday.

Woods qualifies for the event on the back of his victory in the Australian Masters last November, his last tournament win before the sex scandal broke which prompted the American to take a lengthy break from the game.