WGC NEC INVITATIONAL

August 24, 2000

Lee Westwood

LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, played well. Hit a lot of good shots on the front nine without really getting rewarded, and continued the same golf, tee-to-green on the back nine. All in all, it was -- 66 was not as bad as it could have been. I had a putting lesson from Mark O'Meara. He played with me last week, and he was horrified, as I was, to see how bad I was putting. He gave me a few tips, and they worked.

LEE WESTWOOD: He approached me on the practice -- the range yesterday.

LEE WESTWOOD: He just said I was holding on to the club face a bit too long; needed to release my arms a bit more.

LEE WESTWOOD: I didn't drive the ball particularly well all day, and I decided I was going to hit driver down the last. And hit driver, and pulled it straight into the left on the trees and got a bad lie; tried to chip it out. Was toying with the idea of slinking one around or chipping out. Chipped it out into the fairway, hit another bad lie, hit a lubber, came up, but then chipped it to six inches. And so got out of there with a bogey. The only time I was in trouble all day was on 4. I was in the middle of the fairway and kicked up straight right against the collar and semi-thick stuff. One of the best rounds, and got the worst punishment.

LEE WESTWOOD: I didn't really think too much about it. I don't particularly think about what other people are doing or worry about what other people are doing out here. Just plod on and think about where I'm going.

LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah. He's had a couple of days off, not overdoing it at the practice range, which is very important. Only played a few holes yesterday, I believe. So he's probably fresh now. You know, if you play as well as he is, it's easy to keep it going when you're as confident as he is.

LEE WESTWOOD: Here?

LEE WESTWOOD: Not including this one, I've got a week off, Switzerland, Lancome, Belgium, Masters, maybe, couple of weeks off, Spain, Italy, Spain, Spain -- I've got a few.

LEE WESTWOOD: No, not really. If I took all of that time off now, I'd be bored. Well, I wouldn't be bored, but I'd be itching to play. I think I worked my schedule pretty good so far this year. I have not felt tired at any stage. Maybe one week every now and again, I've felt a little bit tired, but I've normally followed it with a week off. I think I've gone into the majors fresh, which is important.

LEE WESTWOOD: Well, I didn't drive the ball well particularly well today and didn't get anywhere near as good a score as I should have got and I shot a 66. It happens to all of us. I'm sure you feel very sorry for me. Let's get the violins out.

LEE WESTWOOD: I shot 66 here on this course four years ago. I've shot 5-under in New Orleans one round.

LEE WESTWOOD: I'm sure I shot 67 the third day in New Orleans. But I did shoot 66 the third day when Norman won in 1997, I think it was.

LEE WESTWOOD: One of the best starts, yeah. But my game is pretty good. I was a little surprised I didn't drive it as well as I can today, because I hit so many good drives last week. I think I was nearly leading the driving stats. For fairways hit, anyway. If only I could have hit a few more fairways, maybe it would have been a bit better score. Every round can't be good all the time. When it is, that's when you go really low.

LEE WESTWOOD: No, not really. I do the same. I try and shoot as low as I can each round. You know, that's all you can do, just try and do your best not make any mistakes and just try and play sensibly when you have to and be aggressive when you have to.

LEE WESTWOOD: No, not really because whether I beat him or not, I know if I play my best, I'm capable of beating him. I've proved it to all of you, or anybody else who is looking into it and thinking about it. There's no edge to that.