Westwood within striking distance of his first home PGA
LEE WESTWOOD was not even sure he was going to make it to the first tee on Thursday to begin his 23rd consecutive BMW PGA Championship after damaging ankle ligaments while out running.
Now, this afternoon, he will have the chance to complete an emotional first victory at the age of 43 following a dramatic third round at Wentworth.
While Masters champion and joint second-round leader Danny Willett collapsed on the back nine for the second day running for a desperate 76, the man who finished runnerup to him at Augusta to revive his career took full advantage.
It was just like the Westwood of old as he hit 16 greens in regulation for a 68 that saw him cut the deficit between him and the lead — now held by Australian Scott Hend — from a distant seven shots to just two.
‘I’ve obviously given myself a chance now and that’s all you can ask going into the final round,’ said Westwood. ‘I think if you win your home PGA at any stage of your career it is going to mean a lot but it would obviously be particularly special at my time in life.’
Westwood was lucky he had an afternoon tee-off time in the first round.
‘It wasn’t looking too clever that morning so I had an MRI scan which thankfully revealed I had just tweaked the ligaments,’ he said.
‘It’s still painful when the tablets wear off and I have to be careful where I’m walking but it’s probably helping me swing-wise in that it’s preventing me getting too quickly on to my left side, which is an old fault.’
In addition to Hend, the only other player ahead of Westwood is local boy Tyrrell Hatton, who could scarcely have imagined when he completed his second-round 66 he would move all the way up to second place.
‘People have been telling me for a while I’ve got the game to be one of the best players and I do think I’m getting close to it being
my turn,’ said the High Wycombe 24-year-old.
For three days here a carnival atmosphere has existed as the enormous crowds bask in the sublime weather and eventful golf. It certainly will not be any different today with no fewer than four Englishmen in with a real chance of winning on home soil.
Chris Wood from Bristol enjoyed himself here last year when he finished fourth and won a BMW for a hole in one. Now he is in contention again after a 68 left him three off the pace. Wood had thought he would be six or seven shots adrift when he finished his round but was another to benefit as the leaders lost their way.
As for the man with the green jacket, the only consolation for Willett after a horrendous back nine where he barely hit a straight shot was the fact he didn’t fire himself out of contention.
Far from it, in fact, at just three off the pace.
‘There were a lot of bad shots out there,’ he conceded, as he headed in search of a remedy on the practice range.
Also in with a chance of victory are YE Yang, who won the USPGA Championship in 2009 and is two adrift, and German Martin Kaymer, who is three back.