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Westy must defend from the Left

Battle lines will be drawn in Shanghai this week © Getty Images

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Golf has a new world No. 1 and Lee Westwood's credentials will be put to the test as the three men directly below him in the rankings take him on in the WGC HSBC Champions in Shanghai. Golf has had a quiet few weeks following the euphoria of the Ryder Cup, but it kicks back into life with a WGC event that will see Westwood head a field also containing Tiger Woods, Martin Kaymer and Phil Mickelson.

It is a strange thing to say that Westwood will head a field containing Tiger, but his standing as world No. 1 means he does. It will be the first time in 281 weeks that Tiger will tee it up when he is not at the top of the tree and it will be a strange scenario for golf. It's not quite a new dawn, but Tiger will have to prove he can hunt rather than be the hunted.

For Westwood, he has realised a lifelong ambition and will have to kick on again. Out of Bounds has read a few pieces claiming Westwood is not a worthy No. 1 because he has not won a major. We've argued before that this is a nonsense of a statement as he is being rewarded for his consistent excellence.

However, Westwood will know as well as anyone that he needs to add a major to his CV if he is to claim a place among the greats of the game. Colin Montgomerie has eight European Order of Merit titles to his name, but a major win eluded him. To go his entire career without winning a major would be devastating for Westwood, but he has time on his side as at 37 it could be argued that he has his best days ahead of him.

He will overhaul his schedule next year and play less tournaments, choosing to work on his fitness during his off weeks, in a bid to ensure he can compete at the top well into his 40s. Out of Bounds is confident that a major will come Westwood's way in 2011, but his stay at the top of the world tree may be a brief one.

A win for any of Woods, Kaymer or Mickelson will see Westwood deposed as world No. 1 after one week at the summit. All the talk in recent weeks has been about Kaymer, Woods and Westwood, while a certain left hander has gone under the radar.

Mickelson appeared to buckle under the pressure of hunting the No. 1 spot for much of the summer, as a win at a host of tournaments would have done the trick. He is in the same scenario in Shanghai, but on this occasion the spotlight is nowhere near him.

It could be that just when the talk is about Mickelson never getting the world No. 1 tag he craves, he could well surprise and get the job done. He will play alongside Westwood over the first couple of rounds, so there could be plenty of sparring in Shanghai. Let's hope the swords are left in the bag.

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