Lee Westwood Is A Winner Again

by Ryan Ballengee on Oct 19, 2009 3:38 PM EDT Comment 6 comments

Lee Westwood ended a two year winless streak on the European Tour (but not his career winless streak in the US) by taking down the Portugal Masters yesterday. He was two better than Francesco Molinari and four better than Padraig Harrington, who continues to show signs of form.

Westwood earned 500,000 Euros for the win, catapulting him atop the Race to Dubai list.

Since his last win at the 2007 British Masters, Westwood has had three play-off defeats, two near misses in Majors (2008 US Open & '09 Open Championship), and 26 top-ten finishes.

With the win, Westwood also got into the Official World Golf Ranking top five - moving up six places with the win. He is one shy of his best ever world ranking. He overtook Padraid Harrington by 0.06 average points to do so.

For his part, Harrington complained of dehydration down the stretch, saying that it caused him to lose concentration. With Sunday temperatures in the high 70s Fahrenheit, it was a drastic change from the upper 80s on course during the week.

Now, the heat will turn up more as there remains just five Euro Tour events before the Dubai World Championship, including the new WGC & Asia's major, the HSBC Champions.

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you just can't please some people..

…GEEZ, RB – the guy finally gets a win after 2 years and you just HAD to throw in the PGA Tour stat ? Opening a cold, wet blanket store soon ? Remind me not to tell you when I have something to celebrate !! :-D

Paddy ? Dehydrated ?? Hmmm – possibly a few too many Guiness’ on Saturday night ? :-)

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Oct 19, 2009 4:46 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

If Lee Westwood does win the Race to Dubai...

…it’ll most likely give him the confidence he needs to win on US soil. I think there’s a fairly good chance he’ll have won a major by this time next year. (not that I like him or anything, because I don’t – don’t have any real reason for disliking him either. It’s weird)

by golfgirl on Oct 19, 2009 7:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

yep – weird – not sure I follow the “confidence” idea. IF he wins the RtD, he will be beating the same guys he beat last weekend. He won’t be taking on Tiger and Phil and Vijay….

Remember – he was one loose putt on the 72nd hole at this year’s British Open away from being in the playoff with Cink and Watson. It’s not talent that keeps him from winning – it’s focus down the stretch.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Oct 19, 2009 7:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Oh and Court...

…Paddy’s a teetotaler from what I’ve heard. Right? It’s kind of strange though because I was looking up something and found a couple of occasions…at different tournaments… where he sited “dehydration”. Hmmmm.

by golfgirl on Oct 19, 2009 7:04 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

not true – he enjoys a Guiness and a few other adult beverages…geez…he’d be tossed out of Ireland !! :-)

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Oct 19, 2009 7:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Westwood/Harrington

Molinari was unlucky to have two lip-outs, but Lee’s chip shot over the trees at the 17th to birdie was incredible (and lucky, although on second thoughts maybe it was unlucky not to go in for eagle). IMO I don’t think he lacks focus so much as tries to force it in the final holes. Also I don’t think ALL the Euros fear TW as much as his fellow Americans do ( Lee has beaten TW in matchplay – as he reminded cheeky young McIlroy in their practice match together in Portugal). Over 4 rounds different matter though.

Whilst Padraig is not teetotal, he rarely drinks. Like Patricia I have heard him cite dehydration before. He seems to like to pinpoint ‘something’ that he can address for the next round/tournament, but suspect it may all be in his mind.

BTW – did anyone see that the matches in the Volvo Matchplay Championship (Finca/Spain Oct.29-Nov1) “will be played to the 18th hole, even if they have already been decided”? Was it something I said? ;)

by WendyUK on Oct 20, 2009 11:11 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs