HSBC Champions Hosts Golf's Top Players

Just before the WGC-HSBC Champions rolled into town last year, the unthinkable happened. Tiger Woods lost his ranking as World Number One, leaving the playing field wide open for four players to clinch the title. Lee Westwood nabbed the top spot, a first for Britain since 1994. Then he proved he deserved the title of World Number One at Sheshan with a second place finish against Francesco Molinari in a match that proved to be one of the most exciting of the year. Westwood clung to the title for 22 weeks, before relinquishing it to fellow countryman Luke Donald.

“Luke has had an unbelievably consistent year so he deserves to hold the top spot for now,” Westwood says. “To get back to number one I’ll need to match Luke in his consistency, and also I need to start winning some titles, and the ranking will take care of itself.”

Consistency has been the name of Donald’s game, but only recently. After a decade of top 10 finishes, Donald had earned a reputation for being lazy. In 2009, a reporter from The Telegraph went so far as to coin the phrase ‘Luke Donald’s disease’ to describe players who phone in their performances, happy to walk away with a check for participating, but not striving to hit the top of the rankings. In 2011, the Brit decided to prove his detractors wrong, heading to the gym and beefing up before coming back into the season with a new attitude and physique to boot.

Donald quickly pulled into the World Number Two position with eight consecutive top 10 finishes starting at the WGC-Accenture Match Play in February. Then he bested Westwood in a nail-biting playoff at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in May, leaving Donald with the official title of World Number One. In the last 18 months, he’s won four times, and he recently set a record for streak of holes without a three putt, a strength that has proved invaluable this year.

“I think my course management and short game are the keys to my recent form. I am not the longest driver, but I do hit it a pretty decent length. I don’t feel like I need to knock the cover off the ball and have no problem if my playing partner is longer than me,” Donald says. “Golf is about so much more than the length of your drives, and I would say my short game – especially my putting – has been the key to my season.”

But, despite his impressive year and recent accolades, Donald’s still never taken home the title at a major, and that’s one thing that still bothers him.

“I would love to win any major, but The Open Championship or the Masters would be very special to win. I just need to keep getting myself into contention on Sundays,” he says. “My golf is becoming so consistent now that hopefully soon I won't need to peak for the majors. I'll just need to play solid golf.”

Another notch in his belt during the HSBC Golf Championships would widen his lead, but he’s got big competition in Westwood, who, still at World Number Two, is gunning for the top spot at the HSBC Champions this year after nearly claiming it in 2010.

“I was really disappointed to miss out last year although Franceso played a great tournament,” Westwood says. “But I know the course at Sheshan suits my game, and I really enjoy playing in front of the Chinese fans so I am hoping that this year will be my turn to win.”

They’re not the only players who are angling for the winner’s podium, although fan favourite Woods did not even qualify for the tournament he once called the “crowning jewel of Asian golf”. The 2011 golf season is drawing to a close with newcomers claiming every major and World Golf Championship title. As the last tournament in the WGC schedule, HSBC Champions is poised to make history again – if a newcomer can steal the glory from Donald and Westwood.

HSBC Champions. 1-6 November. Sheshan International Golf Club. Web: http://hsbcgolf.com

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