After Luke Donald and Lee Westwood remained deadlocked at the end of the final round of the BMW Championship on Sunday, a playoff was needed to decide not only the winner of the tournament, but also the world's No. 1 golfer.
Donald birdied the first playoff hole to defeat No. 1 Westwood and steal away the top spot in the World Golf Rankings.
The two top-ranked golfers finished the first 18 holes tied for first place at 6-under, and returned to the 18th hole for a winner-take-all playoff. The deciding hole was not nearly as close as the rest of the contest, however, as Westwood sent his approach into the crowd and then into the water, allowing Donald to sink a birdie putt for the win.
This is the first time the 33-year-old Donald has achieved the No. 1 ranking, and he becomes the third different golfer to reach No. 1 since October, when Tiger Woods relinquished the top spot he had held since 2005.
Westwood will drop to No. 2 after holding the top ranking for just over a month.
