Sports Then and Now

Lee Westwood is making a charge at the world number one golfer ranking.

If world rankings in sport were decided solely on the basis of personality, there’s little doubt that a few of the current holders of the respective top spots would look slightly different. Perhaps, based on this criteria alone, Lee Westwood, who is currently vying for the number one spot in golf, would find himself unchallenged in his bid to sit at the pinnacle of the rankings.

After all, it’s clear to any golf betting pundits who have watched Westwood compete, let alone met him in person or been around him for any length of time, that this is a sportsman who doesn’t take himself too seriously; he’s always quick to crack a joke and is more often than not one of the most gracious players in defeat that you could hope to observe in this sport.

His technical ability is also worthy of admiration but we need to remember that world rankings shouldn’t be based on personality or how well an individual takes defeat. If Westwood, as could happen soon, does become number one in the world, is it deserved?

Well, the fact remains that he hasn’t yet won a Major. At the age of 37, Westwood is finally hitting his peak and showing those who study golf odds that just what he’s capable of. However, that doesn’t detract from the fact that he is yet to win a Major and often cracks under pressure when it truly counts (just think back to recent events at the Ryder Cup). Does a player who, although seemingly very nice and a great laugh to have around the place, doesn’t seem to have that cutting edge required to cling on to winning positions and seal victory deserve to be ranked above individuals who have Major successes to their name?

If Westwood does reach top spot, there’s no doubt that praise will be fired in his direction from all corners of the golf world but, as in the sport of tennis, some may find themselves questioning the validity of such a ranking.