The conclusion of the WGC - HSBC Champions event came down to the final hole at Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai, and Francesco Molinari held off Lee Westwood to take home the trophy.  In the process, however, Westwood provided further proof that he rightfully belongs in the top spot of the World Golf Rankings.

As Charles Boyer at WaggleRoom.com states in today's article, Molinari captured the title as Westwood missed an eagle putt on the final hole that would otherwise force a playoff with Molinari, who fired a bogey-free 67 on Sunday.

Molinari. coming off Ryder Cup success, earned his second win, and accolades from the audience as he hung in and played his best when he needed to. "It wasn't easy. I'm just really proud of the way I played", he said.

Westwood has had a rather interesting week in China, due mainly to his new-found attention from the golf world for becoming the #1 player in the world on Halloween.  Critics and pundits alike have accused the World Golf Rankings as being insignificant or meaningless due to the statistical methods used to dictate the list.  Westwood has defended his place on the rankings on what seems to be a daily basis, stating that the significance of the system is legit and widely accepted by Tour pros as such.

"I think people have their favorites. A lot of people get confused. A lot of people get confused about Major Championships and who is the most consistent player in the world."

I know that I haven't won a Major Championship. I'm very well aware of that. But I do know I've probably played the most consistent golf in the world over the last two years, and that reflects in my World Ranking. I think that's why people get -- it's not a complicated system. It's a good system and it's a fair system, and you don't hear the players complaining about it; so it must be right."

Regardless of what the rankings or media suggest, the best thing Westwood can do is win.  It would certainly prove to be helpful in not only silencing his critics, but also cementing himself in golf's history as one of the game's all-time greats.