For the first time since 2005 there is a new number 1 ranked golfer in the world. Lee Westwood made his debut as the number 1 golfer in the world becoming the first European to be ranked number 1 since Nick Faldo back in 1994. Tiger Woods’ fall from golf immortality has been well documented over the past year and has out shadowed some of Golf’s more successful stories like the stellar play of European’s top golfers in 2010. Europeans won a total of 8 events on the PGA tour this year and of those eight victories three of them came at Major Championships. Three of the top 10 players on the PGA tour money list are from England. 2010 was truly the year of the Europeans. Ian Poulter started the year off for the Europeans with an impressive win at the WGC World Match Play Championships over fellow Brit Paul Casey. Poulter is a classic case of the guy you love to hate. His on course attire is flashy and unorthodox; he talks a really big game, but hasn’t done much to back it up. However he has shown he is not afraid of the big stage and this win proved his critics wrong. Graeme McDowell burst onto the scene by becoming the first European to win the US Open since Tony Jacklin’s win at Hazeltine back in 1970. McDowell, on golf’s biggest stage, showed he has ice in his vein’s making big putt after big putt in what was only a foreshadowing of things to come for McDowell. Louis Oosthuizen and Martin Kaymer were the respective winners of the seasons last two Major Championships the British Open and the PGA. Not to be out done was the fantastic major play of World number 1 Lee Westwood finishing second at both the Masters and the British Open while having to miss the PGA due to injury. The crowning moment for the Europeans came at the Ryder Cup. Heading into the final day of a rain soaked Ryder Cup the Americans staged an improbable rally similar to that of Brookline in 1999. Needing at least half to give the Americans the victory Hunter Mahan headed to 17 two down with two to play. Coming off of another huge putt from McDowell on 16 Mahan needed to win both holes to bring the cup back to the US. He came up short of the green on his tee shot and then proceeded to muff his chip shot ending any hope the US had to win the cup. For the first time in a long time the PGA tour is booming with fresh faces. The aura of invincibility that has surrounded the likes of Tiger and Phil has been supplanted with the excitement and brash determination of youth. You’ve probably heard the names Rory McIlroy, Hunter Mahan, Bubba Watson, Henrick Stenson, Martin Kaymer, and Rickie Fowler before, but you’ve probably heard the word potential attached to them. Well now we should attach the word impact to them because that is what each one is having on the PGA Tour. The PGA Tour has always been able to ride the coat tail of Tiger Woods for the better part of the past 15 years. Having the most marketable athlete in sports is a luxury that could promote complacency By Matthew Thistle
