European Tour Insider: Westwood simply the best
By Nick Dye, PGATOUR.COM Correspondent
The numbers nearly didn't add up for Lee Westwood.
"It's very hard to believe," the Englishman acknowledged after winning the Race to Dubai as well as the season-ending Dubai World Championship. "It's been a very good year."
It's never been about the money for Europe's No. 1, or indeed for most players. Even so, Westwood seemed quite taken aback to realize $2.75 million would be deposited in his bank account following his days in Dubai.
When asked what it would be spent on, he laughed, shrugged and pointed to his wife, saying he'd heard "Jimmy Choo has got a sale on."
SIMPLY THE BEST
That Tina Turner song has become so hackneyed it's annoying, but it does provide an appropriate title for Westwood's achievement. The song he sang in Dubai all week was a confident one, delivered in style.
To close with a course-record 64 to decimate opponents by a clear six strokes is Tiger Woods territory.
Westwood entered the event knowing what he had to do to pass Rory McIlroy in the money list. His focus was one of admirably relaxed determination. His weekend, by his own estimation, was the best he's ever played.
He won the Order of Merit nine years ago, but in Westwood's opinion this time around was better.
"Winning in 2000 meant a lot," he said "I won six events and the World Match Play that year, but then to drop completely into obscurity, and come back from it, and get back into the top 10 in the world and crown it all by winning this ... "
Westwood's now the world No. 4.
RANKINGS RISE
In addition to Westwood's surge, the European Tour has other reasons to preen this week. Check the world rankings, and you'll see six Europeans in the top 10 for the first time.
Much is now settled by the closing money list. Places in majors are sorted, for instance.
Westwood's fellow Englishman and Tennessee graduate Ross McGowan was second in Dubai. On top of his win in Madrid, he finished the season in the top 15 and did come from some obscurity very much into the spotlight.
"In August I was struggling in the Order of Merit," he said. "But this was my goal at the beginning of the year to get up into these realms, and a strong finish to the year and I've made it."
ROOKIE RAGE
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The European Tour's Rookie of the Year went to Chris Wood, who followed up his fifth place in The Open Championship as an amateur in 2008 with third place at Turnberry.
Arguably, the other players seen as contenders were more consistent across the season, but maybe lacked the big stage spotlight.
Gareth Maybin was beaten in a playoff in South Africa and had six top-10 finishes in total. Danny Willett didn't quite craft a winning chance, but can boast eight top-10s, including three in a row in lucrative summer competitions.
Oskar Henningsson won the Moravia Silesia Open, but didn't make it to the season-ending event.
Wood and Willett had something in common in Dubai. Both broke putters in annoyance at their form on the greens. While Willett waited until after a round, Wood completed his final day using various irons to get the ball into the cup.
MCILROY ON A MISSION
When Rory McIlroy took his frustrations out on an advertising board in Dubai it seemed a little out of character.
You could see the tension in his demeanor more than at other events, but you get the impression the 20-year-old will spring back from his disappointments swiftly. He should take plenty of positives from his third-place finish when the pressure was on, and it undoubtedly helped assuage the dissatisfaction that Westwood is a good friend as well as rival.
Westwood calls the diminutive new world No. 10 "Midget." McIlroy's embraced the name and calls himself "midgetmac" on a message board.
He's at Mission Hills in China this week. McIlroy's ability to bounce back will be shown in company with another firm friend, Graeme McDowell, as they team up to represent Ireland in the OMEGA Mission Hills World Cup.
I GIVE YOU THE WORLD
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There are 28 nations competing in the 55th staging of the team event at Mission Hills. They will play over the Olazabal course at the world's biggest golf complex which boasts 12 courses and 216 holes in total.
The United States has won more times than any other nation with 23 victories -- including four for the partnership of Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, and another four for Freddie Couples and Davis Love III. Tiger Woods has been in a winning pair twice.
The honor this time goes to Nick Watney -- who reveled in his fifth place at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in Shanghai -- and John Merrick, who says "Nick and I are good friends and have similar games, so I think we'll be a good match. It's always fun to go to new places and learn about the culture."
There's been a determined shift to attract the very best players, and the likes of Sergio Garcia, Y.E. Yang, Robert Allenby, Ian Poulter, Martin Kaymer, Stuart Appleby, Rory Sabbatini and Ross Fisher all compete this year.
Henrik Stenson and Robert Karlsson defend the title for Sweden, and the Italians are represented by the brothers Molinari: Francesco and Edoardo. Edoardo is coming off another win in a prolific season, having beaten Karlsson in a play off for the Dunlop Phoenix title in Japan.
COALS TO NEWCASTLE
Last words on the Dubai World Championship ...
It's in the desert, right? Loads of sand around, great for bunkers? Wrong. Greg Norman imported tons of the stuff from North Carolina to complete the Earth course. "The desert is not the right granular shape for bunkers," he explained.
Nick Dye is a freelance columnist for PGATOUR.COM. His views do not necessarily represent the views of the PGA TOUR.
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