With Martin Kaymer missing the cut 78-72, the #1 world ranking is officially up for grabs this weekend at the Masters. Lee Westwood (#2), Phil Mickelson (#3), Luke Donald (#4), and Tiger (#7) could all take over the number 1 spot depending on how the other contenders finish. Graeme McDowell (#5) missed the cut and because of the math, Paul Casey (#6) can’t move to #1 even if he wins.
You’d have to be a statistician to figure out all of the possible scenarios, but thankfully the Golf Channel’s Randal Mell has laid out the possibilities for the rest of us:
No. 2 Westwood and No. 3 Mickelson can become No. 1 with a Masters’ victory regardless what anyone else does.
No. 4 Donald becomes No. 1 if he wins and Westwood finishes worse than solo second.
No. 7 Woods becomes No. 1 if he wins and Mickelson finishes worse than solo second and Westwood finishes outside the top three.
No. 5 Graeme McDowell missed the cut. No. 6 Paul Casey by virtue of divisors and OWGR rolling two-year math has no shot to become No. 1 this week.
My head hurts now.
[Image Flickr/Keith Allison]
