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THE HONDA CLASSIC

February 27, 2020

Lee Westwood

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

Q. Phenomenal start to this tournament. Describe how it changed from when you were warming up to how this golf course allowed you to get in with a round like that today.
LEE WESTWOOD: Well, this golf course is never easy. You've always got to be on your guard. I drove the ball well. I hit a lot of fairways, hit a lot of good iron shots, as well, rolled the ball well on the greens, so I've always felt fairly comfortable on this golf course.

Q. I don't think I saw you miss the middle of the fairway with the driver today.
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I always drive the ball pretty well. It's one of the strengths of my game. You know, I was surprised to see less rough here this year, but it's still important to hit fairways.

Q. 24 putts today, anything in particular you found on the greens that caught your eye today?
LEE WESTWOOD: I didn't realize it was that few. I felt like I was just on the edge of the greens a lot, which is probably a bit of a false reading, but I just see the breaks well, and I've got the speed of them. They're not overly quick because I think they expect the wind to get up. I just felt comfortable on them.

Q. Quick turn into tomorrow. We know how well you're playing. Something you take from today into tomorrow's round?
LEE WESTWOOD: Just the way I played really. My whole game is in good shape. Short game is good, putting was great, and like I said, it's a golf course I feel comfortable on.

Q. Can we get some comments on your day?
LEE WESTWOOD: Just played really well. I've been working on my swing. I'm working with Robert Rock on that, and it's started to feel more solid. It was really good today in the wind. We've been working on being able to control my ball flight well. I drove it great, hit a lot of fairways. Just kept hitting it to -- it seemed like I kept hitting it to between 20 and 30 feet, which was around where I had to just be patient and just keep picking up the odd shot when I hit it a little bit closer. Yeah, it was a solid round and a lot of patience involved.

Q. You said you're working with Robert Rock. Is he kind of officially your swing coach?
LEE WESTWOOD: I've been working with Robert since Wentworth last year, so we've been doing some work since September. We just do it generally at tournaments. He's not been up to Newcastle yet to work with me, but it's pretty simple stuff, and I'm getting the club on a good plane and I feel like I've got all the shots, so I'm back with who I was working, and I've been working on the greens with Phil Kenyon and I went to the claw at about the same time, and that's paying dividends, as well.

Q. You spoke about the wind. Going into tomorrow, earlier start, it's going to be a little bit windier and chillier in the morning. How does that affect the game plan?
LEE WESTWOOD: Well, it doesn't really. Obviously the ball won't go quite as far, so you have to take that into account, but the greens will be perfect. I'm from England; I'm used to the cold weather. Everyone was moaning about how cold it was; I thought it was lovely out there.

Q. You won early in the new season in your career and you won brilliantly a few weeks ago in Abu Dhabi. What does it do for your confidence when you win early in the season?
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, it was a quality field, so it was nice to play solid stuff when I needed to, finish the job off, and I felt comfortable doing it. It's one thing doing it and being nervous and panicking, but it's another thing doing it when you feel comfortable and you're enjoying yourself, and that's what I was doing in Abu Dhabi. It was a strong field. Brooks was there, world No. 1, and being chased down Tommy and Matt Fitzpatrick and Victor Perez, so it was a solid last round, and I did just what I needed to do.

Q. Do you know what number resurgence this is in your career?
LEE WESTWOOD: Let's just call it year 28.

Q. What motivates you?
LEE WESTWOOD: Just love playing golf. I love competing. I love being out here, being asked questions about it; what was it like in the '90s. (Laughter.)

Q. What do you tell them?
LEE WESTWOOD: It's just great fun out here. I say, "ask your parents."

I just love being -- I get paid to play great golf courses with the best players in the world, and I love doing it. I don't really need much more motivation than that.

Q. Where does this one rank, I guess, in terms of resurgences for you? And goals for the year, I know you've talked about wanting to make the Ryder Cup team, for example, as opposed to being a pick. Where does this sort of --
LEE WESTWOOD: Let's go with that. No, I started working with Robert at Wentworth last year, in September, and I've been working with Phil Kenyon, and we went to the claw, and both things have just helped me and clicked. I've felt a lot more comfortable on the greens with the claw, and speed is a lot better. I'm starting it on line a lot better. Robert has given me sort of a new lease on life with a way to look at the golf swing, so I'm energized by that.

I don't practice as much as I used to, but I'm 47 in a month, so why would I. I'm not going to be able to change it dramatically, but the little changes I'm making, I'm seeing a benefit from. I'm certainly hitting the ball better, and it makes it easy to tour out here. That's energizing me enough and giving me enough sort of positive feelings out there to be able to look more optimistic at the results.

Q. You've already got a win, so what do you sort of hope to get out of the year?
LEE WESTWOOD: I mean, I've never been the sort of person to set goals. Winning early on in the year has obviously given me a big lift and a big confidence boost, but I've not set any goals as in I want to win the majors, I want to win the Money List, I want to qualify for the Ryder Cup team, things like that. I figure if I just keep working on my golf swing, keep improving that, hitting more good shots and less bad ones, I'm going to start scoring even lower, and if I do that, then I feel comfortable on the golf course and relaxed, then the wins are going to come and then the benefits from there come. Just really intend to go out there and enjoy myself.

Q. Is that a departure from the way five, 10, 15 years ago?
LEE WESTWOOD: I think when you're younger you put a bit more pressure on yourself. You kind of forget that you're playing a sport and playing golf, and it's very unpredictable, and you treat it too seriously almost. Like I said, I'm nearly 47, just out there having fun.

Q. What's the best question you've gotten about the '90s so far?
LEE WESTWOOD: No, there's some strange things that maybe we sort of do a double check. Like they'll say, how long have you been out here, and I say, this is my 28th season, and they'll be like, oh, right, and then I look at them, and I can see that they're thinking, I'm only 24. Or when did you turn pro, 1993. How old are you? Oh, yeah, same age as my dad. That's always a good one. I like that one. I just put a bit extra into the next drive and try it knock it past them.

Q. Is it almost a little bit easier being out here for 28 years and being 47 years old and almost being able to play with an attitude, almost kind of nothing to lose?
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, it is. Everybody should play like that. Everybody who's out here is in a privileged position with nothing to lose. We should all be having fun. But at the age of nearly 47 it seems even easier. I don't play anywhere I don't want to play. I just play great tournaments and the ones I want to play in, and I set my own schedule, and it's just great fun.

Q. Does it feel like that's a different mentality than you had maybe 10 or 15 years ago?
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I think so, yeah. You get a bit too intent almost as a young man, and you learn that they don't go straight, they don't go in an L, there's nothing you can do about it.

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