Special Features
Lee Westwood Interview after Day One of Race to Dubai
First Round 69 (-3)Q. A nice opening round of 3-under par; what pleased you most about your play today?
LEE WESTWOOD: Well, the way I played. I played really solidly. Billy and I were discussing it coming up the last. And afterwards, you know, you could say that it should have really been 66, 65. My iron shots were pretty good.
Disappointed with 16. Just turned over a 9-iron from 174 and got in a bad spot. If it’s five yards right, it probably rolls down and have a birdie chance.
You can’t win tournaments on Thursdays, so it’s a decent start.
Q. The commentators are very impressed with the fact that you’ve played so little golf, and yet you seem to be competitive so quickly. What’s the key to that?
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, well, everybody’s got to remember, I’m still rehabbing an injury. Still not right. So when I go home, I don’t put the work in my game that I ought to be doing, just in the gym trying to get physically fit again for next year, basically.
My main priority, my main focus is on the Masters next year now. So it’s really pleasing me that I’m coming out and competitive straightaway. I played once in the last five weeks and shot 18-under. That’s pretty good going.
Q. Does being world No. 1, the best player on the planet bring its own pressures?
LEE WESTWOOD: Not really. It’s just a very satisfying place to be whether you’re 1, 2, 3, 4, whatever. You get to a certain level in the World Rankings is the expectation that you have to play well.
So I don’t really think too much about being the best player in the world going out there. Just try and concentrate on keeping the mistakes to a minimum and try to make as many birdies on the golf course when I go out and shoot a solid first round, and that’s what I’ve done today.
