With 50 Official World Golf Ranking Points available to the winner of this week’s Commercialbank Qatar Masters presented by Dolphin Energy, there is more than just the US$2.5million prize fund to play for at Doha Golf Club this week.
After an opening round of 77, Martin Kaymer will have his work cut out if he is to dislodge reigning World Number One Lee Westwood of England from the top spot.
Kaymer would need to win and hope that Westwood finishes outside the top two, or else take the runner-up spot and hope the Englishman finishes no higher than 23rd place, to become the first German to top the World Ranking since Bernhard Langer achieved the feat in 1986.
So Westwood’s position on top of the world looks a little safer for now after he opened with a solid round of 73 on a blustery day at Doha GC, but lower down a victory for the likes of World Number 15 Retief Goosen of South Africa or World Number 16 Robert Karlsson of Sweden would see them make significant moves up the World Ranking.
Defending champion Karlsson is one stroke behind first round leader Goosen, and a win for the Swede could see him climb into the top ten in the World Ranking while Goosen will also be pushing towards the top ten.
After opening with a respectable round of 72, World Number 12 Ian Poulter of England will also be eyeing a victory which would see him return to the top ten.
For a full breakdown of World Ranking Points available in Qatar, click
here
