Lee Westwood’s preparations for the year’s second Major Championship could not have gone any better as he heads to the US Open, where a record 59 European Tour Members are in the field, on the back of a stunning US PGA Tour victory.
The Englishman will continue his quest for that elusive first Major at the iconic Californian setting of Pebble Beach Golf Links, having triumphed in the St Jude Classic in Memphis, beating Swede Robert Karlsson and American Robert Garrigus in a play-off.
Westwood has established an impressive record in Major Championships over the last couple of years. The 37 year old Englishman will be dreaming of victory along the Pacific Ocean shoreline, having been runner-up to Phil Mickelson in the Masters Tournament in April, while in 2009 he finished tied third in both The Open Championship and the US PGA Championship.
Currently a career-high third on the Official World Golf Ranking, Westwood has fond memories of the previous US Open hugging the Californian coast, finishing third just one shot outside a play-off with Rocco Mediate and eventual winner Tiger Woods at Torrey Pines.
Westwood, who rounded off last season by winning the inaugural Race to Dubai, finished strongly for tied tenth at the BMW PGA Championship last month and is focused on leading the European Tour charge.
“It's a pretty good record I have in America, especially in recent years, and the only thing missing really is a (Major) win, finishing it off," said Westwood, who is currently fourth on The 2010 Race to Dubai Rankings.
The 59-strong European Tour Membership teeing up at Pebble Beach beats the previous record of 55 set a year ago, when American Lucas Glover claimed his first Major title at Bethpage Black in New York.
Since the start of 2010, the United States has been a happy hunting ground for Europeans, beginning with Ian Poulter’s victory in the WGC-Accenture Match Play followed by American breakthroughs for Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose, in the Memorial Tournament.
Of the international cast, Ernie Els, a long-time supporter of The European Tour, captured back-to-back titles in the WGC-CA Championship and the Arnold Palmer Invitational, while other Tour Members to win have been Tim Clark, Athony Kim, Geoff Ogilvy, Adam Scott and Camilo Villegas.
In addition, Paul Casey finished runner-up to Poulter in Arizona while England’s Brian Davis just missed out in a play-off in the Crowne Invitational on the US PGA Tour.
All four Englishmen in the world’s top ten, Westwood, Poulter, the in-form Luke Donald and Casey will line-up this week with Donald clearly at the top of his game following a sequence of second-first-third during his recent three week sojourn in Europe.
Northern Ireland’s McIlroy aims to build on his victory in the Quail Hollow Championship in April while an Irishman from across the border, Padraig Harrington, bids to join that elite group of golfers who have won three of the four Majors by adding the US Open to The Open Championship and UIS PGA Championship.
BMW PGA Champion, Simon Khan, who narrowly missed out in sectional qualifying at Walton Heath Golf Club, tees up after gaining a spot as first alternate. Unfortunately Rose is unable to hoist the total of 60 as his elevation into the top 50 in the world came just too late for him to seal a place in the field.
Eleven of those 59 Members will be making their US Open debut, including England’s James Morrison, who captured the Madeira Islands Open – BPI Portugal in April and then won the sectional qualifying at Walton Heath Golf Club.
His compatriot Davis topped the qualifying in Springfield, Ohio, where Noh Seung-yul, who in March became the youngest professional winner in European Tour history by claiming the Maybank Malaysian Open, also grabbed a place by finishing in the top three.
India’s Arjun Atwal took one of seven places up for grabs at Woodmont Country Club, and German Alex Cjeka, Australian Terry Pilkadaris, American Ben Curtis and Sweden’s Mathias Grönberg all booked their spots via sectional qualifying in the States.
Mickelson will set out in search of his fifth Major Championship, having won his third Green Jacket at Augusta National earlier in the year, while Woods – who virtually won the 2008 US Open on one leg due to knee damage which required surgery – will be scenting his 15th Major at the scene of his record 15-stroke victory in 2000.
