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PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

August 12, 2005

Lee Westwood

SPRINGFIELD, NEW JERSEY

JULIUS MASON: Lee Westwood, ladies and gentlemen, at 4 under after the second round of the 87th PGA Championship.

Lee, would you mind going through your card, bogeys, birdies and we'll go to Q&A, please.

LEE WESTWOOD: I started on No. 10, I had some good chances on the first four holes, hit it to 15 feet again on the 14th and made that.

I hit quite a good shot into 16 but it pitched in the thicker stuff and didn't hop out. Then I had a terrible lie, managed to hit it to about 15 feet and missed that.

18, I hit drive and a 6 iron to about 12 feet but it was very quick, I had to really lag it down there.

The second, I hit a good tee shot with a 9 iron, came off of it, and finished about 50 feet and 3 putted that.

Hit a good drive down 3, an 8 iron to about 12 feet, knocked that in.

And then around to 8, I hit a drive, just missed the left side of the fairway, sand iron to about 18 feet and rolled it in for birdie. So it was a good way to finish.

JULIUS MASON: Questions, folks.

Q. Can you tell us perhaps, you went back to Pete Cowen, it seems to have inspired you a little bit.

LEE WESTWOOD: I didn't hear the question part there.

Q. You've gone back to Pete Cowen; was that a key that has brought this sudden burst of brilliant form?

LEE WESTWOOD: Well, without going into it in too much depth, just trying to set the club a little bit quicker and better on the backswing so I can get it in a better position at the top of the back swing.

Q. You mentioned briefly last night about using a psychologist for the first time; tell us why you decided to do that, how it came about and who is it?

LEE WESTWOOD: I just felt like I wasn't thinking as clearly as I could do. My last round scoring average has been very poor this year, and I didn't feel like I was playing any worse last round, just thinking a bit worse and, you know, thought I would give it a try. It's not really a golf psychologist; he's more sort of a lifestyle psychologist I suppose. He's made me think a little bit clearer.

Q. Can you tell us what his name is?

LEE WESTWOOD: No.

Q. At the Open, it didn't seem to be your thing?

LEE WESTWOOD: I was working with him then.

Q. You were? How long have you been working with him?

LEE WESTWOOD: Since the Open. (Laughter).

Q. I'm sure you know that there are 25 club pros in the field here who get in by way of a club player championship; is there anything like that in the U.K.?

LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, they have a European PGA Championship I suppose, I don't know how many, about 20. They get in what is the PGA at Wentworth? Now the BMW.

Q. With the international nature of golf today, do you think it would improve this event if there was a spot or two or whatever you might think reserved for a European club pro?

LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, that would be nice. You know, obviously the PGA have started inviting a lot more international players and a lot more international players are qualifying as of right, but it would be nice if they sort of recognized our PGA over in Britain. I guess if our Club Professional Championship got invited that would be good.

Q. Did you learn from a PGA pro growing up?

LEE WESTWOOD: I was taught by a very early age, I was taught lessons almost straightaway.

Q. What is the most interesting thing the psychologist told you, and what concept has worked the best for you?

LEE WESTWOOD: It costs me a fortune. Why should I give all this away? (Laughter) Just to be myself on the golf course more than anything I think.

Q. I'm sorry if you've been asked this before, I've just come in. A couple of drives that I saw you hit today, the 18th, the 2nd and I think the 3rd, you were significantly longer than Retief. Have I missed an explanation in which you've explained how you found this actual length, or what's happened?

LEE WESTWOOD: I think the ones you saw, Retief hits the fairway and I hit the fairway, which obviously makes a massive difference because you don't get the room through the rough. I think working on my technique a little bit has helped me to hit it a little bit further. I feel like my arc is a little bit wider and I've got all the power coming back to the ball at the right time.

Q. How long was your drive on the 18th?

LEE WESTWOOD: How long? I don't know.

Q. Well, what was the distance left?

LEE WESTWOOD: 6 iron, I had 70, 80 to the front I think.

Q. Which of the three United States majors have you felt over the years that you were most suited to playing the best in and perhaps winning?

LEE WESTWOOD: I'm not too sure to be honest. I've played well in all of them and I've felt comfortable in all of them I suppose. As far as I've always you know, a few years ago, I considered myself a very patient golfer, so the U.S. Open seemed to be the one that suited me more than most. I always felt like I struggled to move it right to left, so The Masters didn't really suit me that much.

You know, '99, I had a chance to win there, so they all really sort of fit my eye and the way I play the game I think.

I think, you know, if you're playing a solid game and a good quality game, then all of them should really suit you. You should be an adaptable enough player to be able to play all of the majors.

Q. Do you do anything if you've never seen a place like Baltusrol ahead of time in terms of research, reading in this case, just to get a clue what's happened here before?

LEE WESTWOOD: No. I had no idea about this golf course. I was still an amateur when they had the U.S. Open here in '93. I had no idea about the golf course. I was interviewed before I played and couldn't tell anybody anything. Fortunately it's one of those courses that you just go out and play and it sets up right there in front of you. It's a good, fair, honest test of golf I think. You get what you serve out there, there's no tricks to it.

Q. Sorry if you've been asked this as well, I just came in, but you said to us at Pinehurst that while you were capable of putting together one or two good scores, the problem you were having is four. Have you done anything to address that? Do you think we'll see the difference here this week?

LEE WESTWOOD: I just think that was a mental problem, and obviously I have gotten off to a great start.

Q. What would that be?

LEE WESTWOOD: You've just come in, haven't you? (Laughter).

Q. Obviously the psychologist, but have you been working on your game as well? Is there aspects you've been working on?

LEE WESTWOOD: No, because technically there was nothing wrong before that was causing me to shoot bad rounds in the last round.

Q. It was more mental?

LEE WESTWOOD: I think I would yeah, it was more mental than anything, yeah.

JULIUS MASON: Thanks for coming down, Lee.

End of FastScripts.

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