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Luke Donald put his money where his mouth is and came out on top of the world.

Donald said at the start of the week that he felt like the best player in the world and after a roller-coaster four days at the he proved it.

The pre-tournament hype for the European Tour's flagship event talked up the quality of the field - the top three players in the world, six out of the top seven in the world rankings, all four major champions, most of the European Ryder Cup team. In the end it came down to a straight duel between the world's top two and .

Donald, 33, becomes the third Englishman after Sir Nick Faldo and Westwood to be crowned world number one and the 15th overall since the rankings were introduced in 1986. Like Westwood before him, though, Donald said that the top spot is flattering but not a goal in itself.

"It's obviously a special accomplishment, something I'll remember forever," Donald reflected. "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.

"I'm not going to lie, it feels fantastic, but winning is always at the top of the list. Winning is what got me there. A big win at the Match Play and a big win here. I've still got a lot of work to do and a lot of titles to pick up."

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Forget the Players' Championship, the real 'fifth' major is the this week. That's according to Lee Westwood, at any rate.

The European Tour's flagship event outside the Open this year boasts a field including all four major champions - Graeme McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen, Martin Kaymer and Charl Schwartzel - and seven of the world's top 10 players.

Only the Americans are missing. But, as the argument goes, with a field like this, who needs them?

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