Lee Westwood will be confirmed as the new World Number One on Monday morning after Martin Kaymer failed to achieve the top-two finish he required in the Andalucia Valderrama Masters.
Kaymer - the current Race to Dubai leader - needed to win or share second place with no more than one other player if he, rather than the absent Westwood, was to succeed Tiger Woods when the American's 281-week reign ends.
But the USPGA champion finished in a tie for 21st in Sotogrande, ensuring Westwood will travel to China for the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions event as Europe’s first number one since Sir Nick Faldo in 1994.
Following his final round at Valderrama, Kaymer said: “Lee really deserves it, he’s one of the greatest guys on Tour.
“At the Ryder Cup he showed what kind of person he is. He helped me. I’m very happy for Lee.”
Westwood is the fifth European to claim top spot in the Official World Golf Rankings, following Bernhard Langer, Seve Ballesteros, Faldo and Ian Woosnam.
It caps a remarkable comeback from the Englishman, who slipped to 266th position in the rankings back in March 2003.
Since then, Westwood has secured a host of victories worldwide and has also come close to winning his first Major Championship on several occasions.
He finished second in this year’s Masters Tournament and The Open Championship, having secured third-place finishes at the 2009 Open and USPGA Championships.
Westwood can take heart from the fact that the previous three players to have reached the summit of the rankings without winning a Major (Fred Couples, Woosnam and David Duval) all went on to do so - in Woosnam's case just a week later at The Masters Tournament.
