All smiles as Westwood rolls back the years
Englishman back in love with Earth Course where he won the seasonender 10 years ago
■ Deputy Editor Sports
Lee Westwood re-ignited his love for the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates with a sizzling seven-under par 65 in the third round of the DP World Tour Championship (DPWTC) yesterday to sit in joint fourth place, two strokes off co-leaders Danny Willett and Patrick Reed.
The Englishman won the inaugural tournament here a decade ago while also claiming the Race To Dubai title that year and he said it feels like the good old days after finally ending a fouryear drought for a European Tour title at the Netbank Challenge in South Africa last week.
He got off to a flyer with three birdies in his first three holes yesterday and finished bogey-free after adding four more birdies.
“If you win a tournament you’re clearly playing well so then it’s just a case of regrouping, getting everything back into perspective, your goals and sights back in line and getting going again, playing again,” he said.
“It was no surprise that I was only five-under after couple of rounds but it tends to happen when you’ve won the week before. I didn’t make enough putts the first couple of days, missed a load and should have been a lot better than I was and today I’ve made up for it.
“I hit the ball very well and I’ve got a lot of control at the moment. Golf’s been very enjoyable of late. I’ve got a new plan it works well and I’m finding myself in contention a lot and it’s got to be a good thing. I might as well enjoy it when it’s going well.”
Westwood also revealed it does not seem like 10 long years since he won here. “It seems like five minutes ago, that’s how life is when you get to our age isn’t it? It starts to go quick,” he joked.
Emotional win
The 45-year-old, who has 43 professional titles to his name, had an emotional win in Sun City last week. He has carried that momentum into the DPWTC despite feeling under the weather.
“I’m feeling a bit grotty, your body gets drained when you’ve had a week like last week and the heat of last week. I’m doing all the right things but you’re in and out of air conditioning and you pick up bugs, don’t you? My girlfriend Helen got it and nice of her to give it to me and then go home this morning.
“It’s not so much fatigue. I feel strong, just grotty and bit drained, but mentally I feel really good and getting back into contention straight away has got to be a good thing.”
Former world No. 1 Rory McIlroy hit a one-under 71 to lie joint 13th, five strokes off the lead, and he echoed Westwood’s sentiments about still feeling strong after a long year on tour.
“I’m not tired. It will be good to get a break but I feel good and feel strong.
“I wish I was a bit closer to the lead but we will get out there tomorrow and see how it goes. I missed a couple of opportunities on the way in and had a really bad swing on 17. If I maybe got to 12-under par I’d have a really good chance going into tomorrow but it is so bunched and there are so many guys between nine-under and 14-under that I will need something special tomorrow to get in there.”
If you win a tournament you’re clearly playing well so then it’s just a case of regrouping, getting everything back into perspective.” Lee Westwood » English golfer