Westwood eager to see British Masters go ahead in July

LEE Westwood is optimistic that the European Tour’s planned resumption at the Betfred British Masters will go ahead in July.

Westwood will host the tournament at Close House, which is scheduled to be the first European Tour event since the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation or postponement of 17 competitions.

Speaking on the Golf Show on Sky Sports, Westwood revealed preparations for the event from July 30-August 2 were on track.

He said: “We’re all ready to welcome everybody for the British Masters in July. The course is already in fantastic condition as you’d expect. They’ve had seven or eight weeks without any play so the green staff have been able to do some good work.”

He added: “Hopefully it will be a great tournament and a great finish and a great way to start off the season again. I’m sure everybody is keen to see some live golf.”

The PGA Tour is planning a June return but Westwood has decided to focus on the European circuit due to quarantine regulations. European Tour bosses are reportedly considering hosting several consecutive events in the United Kingdom to ease travel difficulties in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis.