Sergio Garcia knows that Tiger Woods is too far ahead for anyone to threaten his No. 1 ranking just yet.
So what he's focussing on is becoming the next-best golfer in the world.
The No. 3-ranked Garcia wants to overtake No. 2 Phil Mickelson, and his campaign begins today at the HSBC Champions.
With six of the world's top 10 players in the field and 10 of the top 20 included, ?the Shanghai event offers lots of ranking points which is, perhaps, a bigger draw for golfing millionaires than even the US$5 million purse.
Need proof? Check out the other top-10 players in the field at the Sheshan Golf Club on the outskirts of China's financial capital: Mickelson, Padraig Harrington, Robert Karlsson, Camilo Villegas and Anthony Kim. Those in the second 10 aren't too bad, either: Geoff Ogilvy, Adam Scott, K.J. Choi and Henrik Stenson.
Woods played this tournament twice in its first two years, finishing second to David Howell in 2005 and second to Yang Yong-eun in 2006.
With victories in The Players Championship and his home-course Castellon Masters, Garcia's consistency has moved him up the rankings. He's also finished second or tied for second in three events this season in the US or Europe.
"If I play well I can really move fairly close to that second spot in the world (rankings)," Garcia said yesterday. "So it's something exciting, something that I'm driving toward and this is a good week to have a chance at it."
To have any shot at it this week, the Spaniard must win on Sunday and hope Mickelson - the defending champion - finishes far off the pace.
Mickelson is far less confident about catching Woods, who had surgery on his left knee after winning the US Open. It's unclear when he'll return, but some speculate it will be March at the earliest.
In golf's ranking system, which primarily weighs strength of field, Garcia trails Mickelson by less than one point - 0.53 to be exact. Mickelson, on the other hand, trails Woods by 6.10 points. Woods leads with 14.41.
"It's going to be difficult to get to the No. 1 spot," Mickelson said. "I'd have to win a lot of tournaments. It's not impossible."
The strength of the field in Shanghai - dubbed Asia's major - reflects the global pull of golf and the rivalry between the dominant American tour and the surging European Tour.
This event is the first of the 2009 European Tour season, which will end next November in the Dubai World Championship. The European Tour has also rebranded the Order of Merit - the season money title - and now calls it the Race to Dubai. That tournament will have a US$10 million purse with US$10 million more available in bonus money.
(Agencies via Shanghai Daily November 6, 2008)
