Lee Westwood is looking forward to finalising his Ryder Cup preparations at the ISPS Handa Wales Open this week on a course which provides the Englishman with plenty of fond memories.
The 41 year old will make his ninth appearance in the biennial contest next week after being selected as a wildcard by European Captain Paul McGinley, and returns to the scene of Europe’s 2010 victory to play The Celtic Manor Resort.
“It’s very different,” said Westwood. “It's a lot drier and there's a bit of run on the ball out there, which we didn't have in 2010. A few less people, as well.
“Walking down the 16th and 17th, the big hill on the side there, that was just full of a mass of people the last time I was here. So it's nice to come back, and part of me is Welsh, so it's nice to play the Wales Open.
“I’ve been in the gym quite a lot and practising a lot, working on the game. Just really recharging at the same time and getting ready for next week and getting to where I want to be.
“I like to play the week before an important week, which next week obviously is, and for it to coincidentally be where we won the last Ryder Cup on European soil is obviously a nice little tie in and gives you a good feeling mentally, as well. It made complete sense to come and play here.”
Westwood is not the only member of Europe’s team for Gleneagles playing in Wales, with home favourite Jamie Donaldson, rookie Stephen Gallacher and Dane Thomas Björn also featuring on a course that has been tailored to be as similar as possible to next week’s conditions.
“It's always good coming here,” said Björn. “I'm coming back to a golf course that I enjoy playing golf on, and there are a lot of similarities between the golf course we play here and the golf course we play next week.
“It's a good place to come and prepare and look to hopefully do well.
“I didn't play particularly well in Switzerland and in Holland; I felt like I had to do certain things.
“I feel pretty good about the progress I'm making. When you go through a couple of years where you play really well and then you all of a sudden hit a bump on the road where you're not playing particularly well, you've just got to put in the work and I'm doing that. I'm seeing slight improvements and that's good enough for me.”
Donaldson, who like Gallacher will be making his Ryder Cup debut next week, insists his primary focus is on trying to win his National Open for the first time having been fourth in 2001 and eighth in 2011.
“It’s a great warm-up to what is going to be a great week next week but obviously we are here now and this is the main goal at the moment - to play and try and perform as well as I can this week first.
“This week is obviously the focus. The goals are to play well here and to continue the good form; I've been playing well for the last few weeks, so it's another week to play well.
“To win here would be incredible, to win on home turf. It's going to be a great week and it looks like the weather is going to be nice as well.
“I've got great support down here which is fantastic, but it's another week. There's been a lot of big events coming up to this leading up to next week to qualify for the team, and so there's lots going on there and then we're back here in Wales and at Celtic Manor trying to get the game in shape to contend for the tournament this week.”
