Lee Westwood of the European Ryder cup team is set to replace Tiger Woods at the top of the rankings Oct. 31 after saying Sunday he does not expect to play again until November because of an ankle injury. If he does not return before the end of the month and Woods follows through with his intention not to play again until the HSBC Champions on Nov. 4-7. This will be a dramatic shift in the golf-world powers, capping a year in which golf’s balance of power has tipped from America back to Europe, said Colin Montgomerie, the captain of the European team of the Ryder Cup. I wonder how Tiger feels?
In further news, Robert Thompson won the Senior PGA Professional National Championship on Sunday, shooting a 1-under 71 for a two-stroke victory over James Blair and Mark Faulkner on the Toscana Country Club’s Jack Nicklaus Signature South Course. The 54 year old player walked away with $20,000, proving once again, golf is a sport for children of all ages.
Heath Slocum won the McGladrey Classic after being tied for first, and Australia’s Katherine Hull rallied to win the Navistar LPGA Classic on Sunday for her second career LPGA Tour titlealso won the 2008 Canadian Women’s Open,
And a congratulations goes out to Japanese youth Hideki Matsuyama recently closed with a 4-under 67, winning the Asian Amateur on Sunday and thus earning himself a spot in the Masters as the first Japanese amateur at Augusta National. Matsuyama played bogey-free at Kasumigaseki Country Club and broke par all four rounds for a five-shot victory over Tarquin MacManus of Australia. With this victory, the 18-year-old Matsuyama earns an invitation to the Masters next April. Good for you, kid!
In the golf ball world, we say happy anniversary to Titleist’s Pro-V1 balls, which celebrated their tenth year anniversary this past Sunday. 2 out of every 3 players on PGA tours use pro-v1 balls, and the franchise accounts for 275 wins.
And that’s it for Tuesdays Golf World at a Glance, and I wish all of the Canadians out there a happy belated thanksgiving!
Tee Off!
-From the team at www.knetgolf.com
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