The battle to be World Number One swung in Lee Westwood’s favour when the current incumbent of the top spot edged ahead of the challenger, Luke Donald, midway through the third round.
The top two in the world are so close, separated by just 0.050 points in the Official World Golf Ranking, that provided Martin Kaymer finishes outside the top two, which now looks likely, whoever finishes highest in the BMW PGA Championship will be the World Number One on Sunday night.
Donald, who narrowly missed out on becoming World Number One for the first time when he was beaten by Ian Poulter in the final of the Volvo World Match Play last weekend, threw down the gauntlet with an opening seven under par 64 to Westwood’s opening 72 over the West Course at Wentworth Club.
But Westwood is not the World Number One for nothing and set about clawing back the deficit, closing the gap to five strokes at the end of the second round by posting a 69 to Donald’s 72.
Donald's hopes of not just winning the European Tour's flagship event, but also taking over the World Number One spot were jolted by a terrible start to his third round.
Joint halfway leader with Alvaro Quiros and Matteo Manassero, Donald double-bogeyed the second and dropped another shot on the third. And he dropped another two shots on sixth when he ran up another double bogey.
Westwood, meanwhile, was surging through the field with three birdies and just the one dropped shot in his first six holes and as Donald was spilling shots, Westwood rolled in another birdie to move to four under par. He bogeyed the 15th but the battle to become World Number One looks set to go right to the wire tomorrow.
