Global Golf Post - May 30, 2011

Donald Takes BMW,
World No. 1 Mantle

SURREY, ENGLAND | Luke Donald, World No. 1.

“It feels fantastic,” Donald said at Wentworth after beating Lee Westwood in a playoff to win the BMW PGA Championship, €750,000 ($1 million), and rise to the summit of the game for the first time.

“I’ve been runner-up a few times in my
career, but to come through in these circum-
stances in one of the biggest tournaments in
the world, going head-to-head with Lee for
the No. 1 ranking, that was pretty special,”
he added. “Not sure that will happen again.
Unique history has been made. It will be a great
story when I’m an old man to tell my grandkids
one day that I was once the best player in the
world at golf.”
Donald had the chutzpah early in the week
to suggest that he was the best player in the
world.

Westwood said nothing but you just knew he
was going to try to ram Donald’s words down
his throat.

Eight shots back after the first round, Westwood clawed his way back and missed two late putts to win.

They were tied at 6 under after regulation.

The playoff
began on Went-
worth’s West
par- 5 18th, a
course controver-
sially re-designed

last year by Ernie Els. It was water for Westwood; champagne for Donald and a new world order.

Both Englishmen had received vociferous support from the home crowd. This was European, and British, golf strutting its stuff, and record crowds came into Wentworth to bear witness.

“It’s cool to have your own chant,” Don-
ald said. “They’re not mooing or booing. It’s
‘Luuuke!’ ”
Feel the force. Westwood did and so did Mat-
teo Manassero, playing in the final group with
Donald. The 18-year-old Italian furthered the
belief that he will become a major force in the
game.

He has charm, star-appeal, a swing and physical looks that mean the spirit of his idol, Seve Ballesteros, will never die. The kid has grit, too. He’ll make his U.S. Opendebut next month before taking time off to finish his exams.

Ian Poulter isn’t your average 30-some-
thing. He earned the wrath of Els by slating
the course. “I hate it. Period,” he said. “End of
story.”
Els has already exacted some verbal re-
venge, believing the result vindicates his
course. “The cream rises to the top, and that’s
what’s happened here,” Els said of Donald and
Westwood. “They haven’t got into the mud-
throwing match. To see the two best players
in the world slug it out at the flagship event on
our tour is very special.”
And what a fight it was.