HSBC Champions: Lee Westwood, Tiger Woods Fighting For World No. 1

Italian Francesco Mollinari stayed atop the leaderboard at Sheshan International, shooting a 2-under 70, putting him at 9-under after 36 holes. Lee Westwood, who is playing in his first tournament as the world’s top player, matched Mollinari with a 2-under 70 of his own and sits at 8-under going into the weekend.

Ernie Els is in a tie for third place after posting the low round of the day with a 7-under 65.

Lee Westwood, the No. 1 ranked golfer in the world, showed no signs of rust as he shot a 6-under 66 and one back of the lead in his first round as the No. 1 player in the world. Italian Francesco Mollinari holds the lead in the HSBC Champions in Shanghai, posting a 7-under 65 in the first round.

However the real story at Sheshan International is the world’s top four players battling for the No. 1 world ranking. A win for any of the top four players would put them in position to take over as No. 1, or in Westwood’s case, stay atop the rankings.