LEE LOVES CHIPS
Short game puts Westwood in the hunt for Wentworth glory... at the 24th attempt
IT was, unquestionably, the most un-Lee Westwood-like round of his entire career. A round where he could not find a fairway, barely hit a green and yet finished with three successive birdies for a 72 to be right in the mix to win the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth today at his — wait for it — 24th attempt.
As he came off the 18th green, his long-time caddie Billy Foster paid him the ultimate compliment. ‘That’s the best short-game display I’ve seen since I used to caddy for Seve,’ he said.
While Westwood was doing his interviews, the dry-witted Foster added: ‘Who would have thought Westy would ever chip like that? It was a round so out of character I thought at times I was caddying for his twin brother.’
Westwood has worked hard over the past few years to cure the obvious flaw in his game and, now he can chip with the best of them, it has given him a new lease of life.
‘I don’t know what will happen in the final round but I’m enjoying being able to compete at the age of 44 and that round has given me a lot of confidence,’ said Westwood, who lies third, two shots behind South African Branden Grace and three adrift of the surprise Australian leader, Andrew Dodt. ‘It was weird. I hit the ball well on the range but didn’t have it on the course.
‘I went from being frustrated to puzzled to thinking it all a bit odd, and then, as I kept chipping and putting, we reached the laughter stage.’
The stats were amazing. Westwood, who has finished runner-up on two occasions here over the years, hit only one green in regulation in the first 15 holes and yet got down in two on 10 out of 11 occasions.
He thought he was doing well to be only three over given how he was playing — and then came that bonus of a birdie hat-trick to finish. In all, he needed just 23 putts.
‘If I’d played like that a few years ago I wouldn’t have broken 80,’ he admitted.
A grand week that has already drawn more than 100,000 spectators to the Surrey course is set for a fitting climax today, with not only Westwood but three local lads also in with a sniff of winning. Ross Fisher, Tyrrell Hatton and Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston all came to this tournament as youngsters and now they are the ones drawing the crowds.
Fisher is a former Wentworth junior member, Hatton grew up 20 minutes away in Marlow while Johnston is making the 50 minute journey each day from his Middlesex home. All shot 72 and all three will start five behind. The Beef caused something of a stampede following a wonderful approach shot to tap-in range at the par five 12th hole for his second eagle of the day to move within a shot of the lead.
Alas, on a difficult, blustery day, he failed to capitalise over the closing stretch, playing them in two over. He will need the round of his life today to win but while there’s hope you can be sure he will not lack for vociferous support.
‘Just wicked, isn’t it?’ he said. ‘I just bounce off it, walking on every hole with a smile on my face. It’s all I ever dreamed about.’
Scotland’s Scott Jamieson, who was joint leader heading into the third round, fell back with a disappointing 76 to be five shots off the pace.
A shot further back is Richie Ramsay after an encouraging 71, while Stephen Gallacher is level par following a decent 70.