I PLAYED JUST LIKE SEVE DID Wayward Westy rescues his up-and-down round with display of putting brilliance
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Lee Westwood showed the short-game genius of Seve Ballesteros at the BMW PGA – then admitted he couldn’t stop laughing at his “ridiculous” round.
Wayward Westwood hit just one green in regulation in his first 14 holes but he got up and down 10 out of 11 times – and needed only 23 putts as he closed with three consecutive birdies in his crazy level-par 72.
The Englishman sits three shots behind Aussie leader Andrew Dodt on five under as he seeks to win the title here at his 24th attempt.
Westwood, whose caddie Billy Foster used to carry Ballesteros’s bag, said: “Billy felt the spirit of Seve was with me today.
“He said he hasn’t seen a display of scrambling and putting since he caddied for Seve 25 years ago. He said it was, in a way, nice to watch.
“When things aren’t going your way you have to find another method of getting it around the course.
“It felt odd – it wasn’t like me. Odd and nice in a way. I went through the frustrated and angry stage then into the laughing at myself, wondering what was coming next stage.
“It was fun. I’m not saying it was fun to keep missing greens but it was fun to walk off with par and keep getting up and down.
“After I got up and down on the 14th we were just laughing at each other because it was so ridiculous.
“When I holed my birdie putt on the last, Billy just said, ‘23 putts!’”
Ballesteros won the PGA twice here at Wentworth as well as five World Match Play titles.
And Westwood, who has always struggled around the greens, said he is finally learning to play like the great Spaniard here after working with coach Pete Cowen and putting guru Phil Kenyon.
Westwood said: “Eventually it clicks although it has taken a bit longer for it to click with me.”
World No.251 Dodt leads by a shot from Branden Grace with Westwood and Francesco Molinari in third.
Andrew “Beef ” Johnston called on the home crowd to cheer him to his first win on home soil after his 72 left him in eighth – five shots off the lead.
The Londoner, who followed an early double bogey with two eagles, said: “I really bounce off the crowd when I get them going.”
Scott Jamieson insisted he’s still in it despite a third-round 76.
Playing in the final group with Thomas Pieters, the Glaswegian slid to six over after 10 holes, making two double bogeys on a day of swirling winds. But Jamieson picked up two birdies late on to finish five shots behind Dodt.
The world No. 327 said: “It was tough out there but I’m still there and anything could happen.”
Richie Ramsay carded a 71 to move to two under. Ian Poulter fears he’s risking burn-outand has next given up month’s on US Open. He needed finish at atop-two qualify but Wentwor th to his third round 73 left him two over. said: “I’ll He focus on The Open.”