The world’s top three players will be going head to head at the US Open Championship this week, with Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer vying to wrestle the World Number One position from Luke Donald.
The trio have been grouped together for the first two rounds at Congressional Country Club, and the title of best player on the planet is at stake.
World Number Two Lee Westwood relinquished the top spot after he lost to Donald in a play-off for the BMW PGA Championship title last month, but a win this week would lift him back into pole position.
World Number Three Martin Kaymer, who was top of the World Ranking for eight weeks earlier this year, can leapfrog both Englishmen if he wins, providing Donald is not in the top 15 and Westwood is worse than tied second with one other player.
For Steve Stricker, the World Number Four, and all below him, the World Number One position is out of range this week.
Graeme McDowell, the defending champion, swapped places with Northern Irish compatriot Rory McIlroy to rise to seventh despite neither playing last week, while Sweden’s Robert Karlsson is back in the top 20 at 17th after losing a play-off in the St Jude Classic on the PGA Tour. It was the second year running Karlsson lost in a play-of, having been beaten in sudden death by Westwood 12 months ago.
Robert Rock rose from 165th to 111th courtesy of his victory in the BMW Italian Open, but the biggest leap came from Harrison Frazer, who jumped from 583rd to 144th after his play-off win over Karlsson in Memphis.
