Lee Westwood is hoping to be fully fit for the final round of the Alstom Open de France despite suffering an injury scare on the way to the first tee today.
The World Number Three injured his right groin following an unfortunate slip this morning.
He subsequently dropped seven shots in the first six holes, but was able to complete his round without any further setbacks. Indeed, birdies at the 13th and 18th enabled him to sign for a 76.
With The 141st Open Championship just a fortnight away, Westwood will be keen to shake off the problem as soon as possible and he retained a positive outlook when he addressed the media to explain his mishap.
“I was talking to Richard Sterne's caddie and not looking where I was going as I was walking to the first tee and my left foot went forward about two feet and my right foot stayed,” he said.
“I felt like I strained something in my groin in the right leg and just tweaked my right knee, as well. I didn’t really have a lot of confidence in it.
“Then as the round went on, I just kept stretching and it seems to have eased up a little bit.”
“I’’m still a little bit worried. I thought that if I stopped it would make it worse and it was better to keep it moving.
“I tried not to overdo it on the first few holes and I lost everything down the right, but as the round went on, I felt like it eased up a little bit more and started to get a little more confident in it and put a little more weight on it.”
It is not the first time Westwood, who was planning to ring his trainer Steve McGregor for advice on whether to have treatment or just rest the injury, has suffered misfortune at this event.
Three years ago he lost in a play-off to Martin Kaymer, and the year after he ruptured his plantaris muscle and was forced to take seven weeks off after The Open Championship, although he later returned to play a leading role in Europe’s Ryder Cup triumph.
“This tournament has been a curse for me the last few times I've played it,” Westwood added with a smile.
