In the third of our series in the build-up to the Masters Tournament next week, we turn the focus on World Number Two Lee Westwood...
Lee Westwood has been around golf long enough to know that the game does not owe anyone anything. However, those with a sense of fair play might like to think it would be more than fitting if next week’s Masters Tournament has the Englishman’s name on it.
Twelve months ago the 37 year old produced a superb display at Augusta National – the only problem being that Phil Mickelson conjured up that little extra something.
It says everything about how good Westwood was that week that his 13 under par total of 275 knocked ten shots off his previous best 72 hole score at Augusta. However, at the same time, it also showed how unfortunate he had been given the fact his total would have won 25 of the previous 30 Masters Tournaments and been in a play-off for two more.
Indeed, even if he had carded 69 in the final round instead of 71 to become the first player in Masters history to have posted all four rounds in the 60s, he would still not have won.
However, it says so much about Westwood the man that, even deep in disappointment when stepping out of the recorder’s hut, his first thought was for Mickelson and how the American’s victory would provide a welcome respite to ‘Lefty’ and his family as both his wife Amy and his mother Mary battled breast cancer.
“There is no doubt that the experience I had there last year will stand me in good stead this time,” said Westwood. “I enjoy Augusta and I always feel like I can do well there. I’ve been knocking on the door in the Majors for a few years now so hopefully it will open for me soon.
“It would mean a great deal for me to have the Green Jacket draped over my shoulders on Sunday night. It would show that all the sacrifices I have made and all the hard work I have put in over the years were worthwhile.”
Such effort was already rewarded, of course, last October when Westwood replaced Tiger Woods at the top of the Official World Golf Ranking and the Englishman, now Number Two behind Martin Kaymer, will head to Georgia as part of the burgeoning European contingent at the summit of world golf, all of them with genuine hopes of victory amongst the azaleas.
As with most players, Westwood extolled the virtues of preparing properly for a Major even though his trip to Augusta last Sunday for a practice round before this week’s Shell Houston Open on the US PGA Tour was curtailed due to a heavy Georgian rain shower.
“I've been toying around with a new putter which I'll use this week in Houston,” he said. “I haven't been particularly happy over the first couple of months of the season with the old one. This one is a bit easier to line up.
“I generally keep the same stuff in, then decide last minute whether it's a two iron or a five wood. Augusta is generally a five wood though because you need to fly the ball in high. I've been doing a little bit of work with different bounces on sand irons too. It's nice to take a bit of the bounce off the lob wedge at Augusta with the lies you get there and the firmness of the sand in the traps. It's nice to get under the ball a little bit.”
Tomorrow, we look at the only player currently above Westwood in the World Ranking, German Martin Kaymer...
