WGC NEC INVITATIONAL

August 23, 2000

Lee Westwood

LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I played well here in the past. A few years ago, I think I finished fifth, something like that. I shot a 66 in the third round. So, yeah, it's a course I like, and it sets up well for me.

LEE WESTWOOD: I played great last week. I was talking to Butch yesterday, who just did a little bit of work with me on the range last week. I threw a few questions at him, and he was kind enough to answer them. Yesterday he said he was watching some of the feedback when he was commentating for Sky, and he said he didn't see anybody play better tee-to-green. I just kept missing from two and three feet. Hopefully, I don't do that this week. Just not make any mistakes. And if I can play like I played last week, which I see no reason why not, then I should be up there.

LEE WESTWOOD: I don't forgive you for that. Thank you very much.

LEE WESTWOOD: The Tiger Woods factor?

LEE WESTWOOD: I don't think I'm that far ahead of anybody else today for it to be a factor at the moment. I think the top four players in Europe on the Order of Merit, you know, are all pretty much the same standard. Thomas Bjorn certainly is getting close, as well, Michael Campbell, people like that. I don't think there is too much of a factor. I am having a good season over there, but I wouldn't say that I am dominating at this stage. It has still been a very good year.

LEE WESTWOOD: I'm playing well. I played great last week, tee-to-green. I didn't score as well as I could have done, which is what it is all about. So, hopefully I can -- I can get my score together and start rolling a few putts in, and that will make all the deference.

LEE WESTWOOD: It's difficult to read them badly from two feet. No, I just -- some weeks, you struggle to put a good roll on it, and it comes off at funny angles. Half-hit my putts sometimes instead of stroking them. And to be honest, I haven't putted great since the Open Championship and haven't seen many long ones like at St. Andrews, the 30-, 40-yard putts. Just got into hitting that and have not got quite out yet. But no doubt with the good greens last week and this week, will get me stroking the ball more.

LEE WESTWOOD: Well, I don't know who you've been talking to, but I certainly never lost hope. I think that -- I think I said earlier on in the year, when Tiger plays his very best, then he will be capable of winning tournaments by 13, 8 shots. But he is not going to play his very best all the time. So you've just got to capitalize on those weeks when he doesn't, and Bob nearly did last week. Down to the last green, I thought he'd win it there. But, you know, like I said, if he plays -- if Tiger plays well, his very best, then he's difficult to beat. But he's not going to play his best every week. Just happened to do it in two majors this year.

LEE WESTWOOD: If you probably ask him, he probably plays his best three or four times a year, three or four weeks a year. The thing is his average is still very, very good and still good enough to win golf tournaments, which is what it's all about. It's about how good your bad shots are on your bad weeks, not how good your good shots are on your good weeks.

LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, but he didn't play well all last week, did he?

LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, that was pretty impressive.

LEE WESTWOOD: No, not really. Because I always felt deep down that I could beat him when I was playing well. It was just a case of him being there when I had a good week, because it makes a huge difference if the tournament has him in when you win it, just to the individual that wins it.

LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I think there is. There is no doubt that if you're playing against Tiger Woods, you certainly raise your game and play harder than you would because you know you're going to have to win -- you know you're going to have to play better than your best to win. But I think Tiger pushed Bob May last week, as well as Bob May pushing Tiger. Certainly Bob May's game around that back nine, the quality of his iron shots --

LEE WESTWOOD: Different people react differently to pressure situations, don't they? Some people can handle it, some people can't. It's all up to the individual. I think the statement that -- what it was it, your opponent can only play as well as you let him?

LEE WESTWOOD: Which is complete rubbish, really, because your opponent doesn't have any control over your ball. He's not allowed to pick it up and throw it in the water.

LEE WESTWOOD: But I think the standard of players around the world nowadays is so high that that doesn't apply anymore.

LEE WESTWOOD: No, I don't think so. I'm sure he's won back-to-back tournaments. He did it last year. It was fairly emotional for him at Medinah, I would have thought, so he's proved that he can handle that sort of situation.

LEE WESTWOOD: No, I've won back-to-back several times, three or four times. It gives you confidence more than anything when you win a tournament, you just take it on to the next week.

LEE WESTWOOD: No. It normally hits me about four or five weeks after, when I have a week off or something, to sit down and think about it. Not really a down period, just a letting-it-sink-in-period.

LEE WESTWOOD: It would seem to me that a World Golf Championships with 36 players should really have the -- two of the Top 20 missing, they should have been in it, but that was their qualification system. Some people agree with it. Some people disagree with it. Some people say it's not fair. Some people say it is fair. You can't do anything about the rules they set.

LEE WESTWOOD: There are flaws, I suppose. I'm very non-committal on it. Making me sore, I'm on the fence so much.

LEE WESTWOOD: Ryder Cup wildcards? Should there be more or should there be less?

LEE WESTWOOD: I don't know, I have not really heard too much about it.

LEE WESTWOOD: Five, six playing over -- Sam is going to be certainly in a difficult position come next August time when he is thinking about picking his wild card. That is that's the captain's job, you put yourself in that position, you're going to have to make decisions.

LEE WESTWOOD: Couldn't it? It still can.

LEE WESTWOOD: I would like to see the strongest European team possible play in the Ryder Cup. How about that for a statement.

LEE WESTWOOD: Possibly would, yes.

LEE WESTWOOD: I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not too sure. It wouldn't worry me if there were four wildcards, put it that way. I think we need to get it all straightened out before the qualification system starts rather than changing it mid-term.

LEE WESTWOOD: Thanks.