“To come through in those circumstances in one of the biggest tournaments in the world, going head-to-head with Lee, was pretty special. It doesn’t get much better. I’m not sure if there will ever be a case where No. 1 and No. 2 in the world are playing for the tournament, but also a chance for the No. 1 ranking in the world. Unique history I think has been made, and I’m glad to be a part of it.
In the playoff it was important to hit the fairway, to be able to control the spin. I didn’t really have that control on the 72nd hole out of the rough. I got it to a perfect yardage, 97 yards into a bit of a breeze, so it was just a nice 54-degree T-11 wedge for me. I’ve practiced that shot countless times. I hit a great shot – shows what a good job Mizuno did with the Quad Cut Grooves after the regulation changes last year.
“Obviously it put the pressure on Lee. I relied on my good wedge game all week but my coach, Pat Goss, watched the (tournament) telecast and saw a few things in my swing. I was getting a little bit too jumpy through impact with my left leg. I was just getting the — standing the shaft up too high, and that makes the ball go right, right.
“He’s a hell of a player, Lee; he doesn’t back down. I knew it would be a tough playoff. I felt a little bit bad for Lee. He hit a decent shot there on 18, just had a little bit too much spin.
“I’ve always said, winning is always at the top of the list. It’s always the top of the goals. I’m not going to lie; being No. 1 feels fantastic. It’s a great honor, a great achievement. But you know, winning is what got me there. A big win back at the Accenture Match Play, and a big win here. It’s obviously been a great year so far, and just because I’m at No. 1 doesn’t mean that I’m done now. I’ve still got a lot of work to do, hopefully a lot of titles to pick up, and hopefully I can keep going from strength-to-strength. The world No. 1 ranking is based on consistency, I have been the most consistent this year. I have been giving myself opportunities every week. This is something like my 14th or 15th Top-10 in the last 15 or 16 tournaments. I’ve had a great run, and you know, it pays to be consistent, and it obviously pays in the World Rankings.
“It’s obviously a special accomplishment, something that I’ll remember forever. As I said before, it’s something that will be a great story when I’m an old man telling my grandkids that I was once the best player in the world at golf. It’s a little surreal. It’s hard to believe in a certain way. You keep thinking that you have the ability and the talent, but you never quite really know.
“Whether it will change me, I don’t think so. The goal for me is to always continue to focus on the processes of getting better, and just because I have reached the pinnacle of the World Rankings doesn’t mean my work is done. I have a lot more to accomplish, hopefully many more victories in me, and hopefully I can at least be somewhat of a worthy No. 1 for a few weeks.”. [lukedonald/www.mizunousa.com]
