STARS TURN OUT FOR LEE
British Masters gets a lift
Tournament host Lee Westwood admits he is both flattered and surprised by the strength of field he has been able to attract for this week’s British masters.
rory mcIlroy’s late entry has given a further boost to the event at Close House, which also features the likes of masters champion Sergio Garcia, Danny Willett, martin Kaymer, Graeme mcDowell, Ian Poulter and matt Fitzpatrick.
‘It means a lot,’ said Westwood, who is following in the footsteps of Poulter and Luke Donald in hosting the £3million tournament. ‘I don’t know whether it’s me, the reason why the players have turned out, but if it is, then that’s fantastic.
‘Sergio doesn’t play in Britain very often but committed so far in advance, so we could use him in the promotion of the event.
‘I asked rory at Sergio’s wedding, when we’d had a couple of glasses of wine, and he said if he didn’t get to the tour Championship he would think seriously about playing here and it’s great he’s turning out. He’s one of the few players in the world that I would turn out at a golf tournament to watch.
‘It’s one of the strongest fields we’ve had all year on tour, I think. I can’t believe how good a field it is.’
Westwood (below) is one of the few players in the field to have experience of the course on the outskirts of newcastle and the former world no1 also comes into the week in good form.
the 43-year-old was ninth in the Czech masters and third in the KLm open a fortnight ago, and said: ‘I feel like maybe a win is just around the corner. It would be great if it was here this week but, whenever it comes, it will be fantastic. ‘I feel like I’ve got a real chance. People have said: “You must know the course really well”, but when you turn up on a Saturday morning and play with your mates, you’re going to play slightly differently to the way I’m going to play in the tournament this week. ‘tomorrow I’m going to go around the golf course and really sort of clear my mind and look at it as if I’ve never played it before.’ Garcia is also in good form after recovering from an opening 73 to finish tenth in the tour Championship in atlanta on Sunday, with a first race to Dubai title now his main focus for the rest of the season. the 37-year-old is just under a million points behind tommy Fleetwood in the standings and will play the Italian open, andalucia Valderrama masters — which is hosted by his own foundation — and DP World tour Championship as he tries to end the year as european no1 for the first time.
‘It is a motivation but I’m not going to go crazy,’ said Garcia.
‘If I’m playing well, it should be enough. But if it’s not enough, then I’ll congratulate whoever gets it.
‘at the end of the day, I know what clicks for me and I don’t want to overdo something now towards the end of the year and then feel it throughout next year.’ aFter years of being overlooked, former world no1 Ian Woosnam has finally been inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
the 59-year-old climbed to the top of the rankings in the week he won the masters in 1991 and remained there for 50 weeks.
the Welshman represented europe in eight consecutive ryder Cups and captained the side to a record nine-point victory at the K Club in 2006.
However, he had previously missed out on a place in the Hall of Fame.
Woosnam said: ‘I’m very excited and very emotional the closer we get. to be inducted into the Hall of Fame with the greatest players ever, it’s a big thing.’