GOLF:LEE WESTWOOD yesterday celebrated the most satisfying moment in his career – but only after a supermarket trip "to buy rubber gloves and mashed potatoes".
Westwood will be officially confirmed as the world number one this morning after Martin Kaymer failed to achieve the top-two finish required in the Andalucia Masters, won by Graeme McDowell.
Kaymer needed to win or share second place with no more than one other player if he was to succeed Tiger Woods when the American’s 281-week reign ends this week.
Westwood had been keeping an eye on Kaymer’s progress all week, and that extended to monitoring the European Tour’s website in Sainsbury’s as he ran errands.
The champagne duly flowed at home later as Westwood reflected on a remarkable turnaround in fortunes which sees him become Europe’s first number one since Nick Faldo in 1994, seven years after slumping to 266th in the rankings.
Asked if it was the most satisfying moment in his career, the 37-year-old said: “Yes I think so. It’s a dream everyone has to say there is nobody better than me at the moment. You have to say it’s a highlight.
“It’s a great honour and a big responsibility. It certainly sounds and feels good right now.
“When you are growing up and people say what do you want to achieve, everyone says I want to be the best in the world. Right at this moment I can show people the world rankings and say I am the best on the planet.”
US/ASIAN TOUR: American Ben Crane won his fourth PGA Tour title yesterday when he calmly rolled in an eight-foot birdie putt at the final hole to win the €4.5 million co-sanctioned Asia Pacific Classic in Malaysia.
Overnight leader Crane struck a two-under-par 69 for an 18-under, 266 total as he held off a charge from England’s Brian Davis to win by one-shot at the Mines Resort and Golf Club and claim the first PGA Tour event in Southeast Asia.
LET:The final group at the Suzhou Taihu Ladies Open in China – which included Rebecca Coakley of Team Ireland – failed to deliver the expected fireworks as all three players finished over par with only Christel Boeljon forcing her way into a four-way play-off after a birdie on the final green.
The Netherlands’ duo of Christel Boeljon and Dewi-Claire Schreefel shot 73 and 75 respectively, with Coakley also carding a birdie on the last to sign for a 73 to earn share of 5th place.
In the end South Africa’s Lee-Anne Pace clinched the play-off to win, just a week after she won the Sanya Ladies Open.
AMATEUR: Ireland left their best until last in the World Amateur Team Golf Championship in Buenos Aires and surged up the leaderboard to finish a creditable sixth, their best position of the week and 19 places better than in Adelaide two years ago.
But the splendid final-day performance, not bettered by any country in the event curtailed to 54 holes because of thunder and lightning on Friday, came too late to take Paul Cutler, Alan Dunbar and Kevin Phelan into medal contention.
France were crowned champions with an aggregate of 423, seven under par. Denmark took silver four strokes behind and the US were a stroke adrift.
