Exclusive - Westwood: 'Being world No.1 is a dream come true'

Lee Westwood has told talkSPORT his elevation to world No.1 is the realisation of his boyhood dreams.

The Worksop-born golfer ended Tiger Woods' 281 week reign at the top of the rankings at the weekend, becoming the first Englishman since Nick Faldo in January 1994, to hold that lofty position.

Westwood told the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast: "It’s a dream realised. You grow up and people ask you what you want to do and you say you want to be the best in the world, but I don’t think you ever believe it. And all of a sudden it’s a reality and it’s an amazing feeling.

"It’s not something you can be conscious of [getting to world No.1]. You just try to compete week in, week out.

"Golf’s a game where you’ve got to break it down into a lot of little things and if all those little things come together, then they combine to make one big thing. And that is if you play consistently well you become world No.1, as I’ve proved."

Westwood's immediate task is to defend his new found status as the best player on the planet at next weekend's WBG-HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai.

Victory for any of the three players immediately behind him - Woods, Martin Kaymer and Phil Mickelson - could see him replaced at the head of the list. But it's a challenge he's relishing.

"It’s where you want to be - in a position where everyone's shooting at you," he added. "If everybody wants what you’ve got then you’re the top, aren’t you?

"I’ll have to keep playing well. It will be exciting this week in China where we’ve all got a chance to be No.1 come Sunday night so it’s a great time to be playing golf."