THE 150TH OPEN

July 14, 2022

Lee Westwood

Mixed Zone

LEE WESTWOOD: The lack of lady members has been highlighted in the past, hasn't it? For them to have a ladies Open Championship there is incredible.

It's a real treat because Muirfield is one of my favourite golf courses on The Open Championship rotor. Along with Turnberry, Muirfield, Birkdale, and Portrush. I think they're four spectacular links courses, even if I'm not playing major championships on them.

I played round there with Peter Dawson a couple of years ago in the winter and just thoroughly enjoyed it. There's not many places Peter would get me out to play in the middle of January, but Muirfield on a cold crisp morning was one of them. So, yeah, it's a fantastic links golf course, and I enjoyed it, yeah.

Q. Knowing the challenges and nuances of that course, what would be your advice to the LPGA and LET players who take that on in a couple of weeks? Strategy or...

LEE WESTWOOD: You don't know what the conditions are going to be like, but it's fast and firm like they were when Phil won in --

Q. '13.

LEE WESTWOOD: '13 or '14. I played well that week and hit a lot of fairways. Control of the golf ball is obviously paramount. You're not going to score well out of that wispy rough. Get flyers out there and no control of the golf ball, it becomes a tough golf course quickly.

Q. You seemed to get a very good reaction from the crowd today. I don't think Ian Poulter was necessarily quite as fortunate on the 1st. Did you have any worries at all about it?

LEE WESTWOOD: No, I always get a fantastic reception from the galleries at The Open Championship. As a British player, it's the best tournament of the year to play at. The atmosphere out there is incredible.

Q. It could have had the potential, with everything that's gone on, to have been different this time?

LEE WESTWOOD: No, I don't think it has the potential. I think the media are stoking it up and doing as much as they can to aid that. I think the general public just want to go out there and see good golf no matter where it's being played or who's playing it.

Q. It's not really a media thing, is it?

LEE WESTWOOD: Well, it is.

Q. It's not a complete construct. Golf is --

LEE WESTWOOD: We could stand here and argue all day, but it is. I've spoken to a lot of people over there last week, and there's no animosity between players. Yet the story's been written that there are. Yeah, you're creating issues where there are none. You want to be that way, fine.

Q. It's not me personally.

LEE WESTWOOD: Somebody's doing it.

Q. Lee, frustrated about your preparations in any way this week?

LEE WESTWOOD: No, my preparation has been great. I played links golf last week at Seaton Carew. It's a fantastic links golf course, and they're kind enough to let me play there. I'm hitting the ball well. I played well at Adare Manor in the JP Pro-Am.

I was quite confident coming into today, hitting the ball solidly and holding it against the wind when I need to and using it when I need to and putting well. Yeah, I was confident about the way today was going to go.

Obviously double at the second wasn't ideal, but that happens in major championships. It happens in any championship, but major championships even more so. You've just got to be patient and fall back on your experience.

Q. (Indiscernible) said this morning that he's making the most of this experience because he feels like it's probably the last one at St Andrews for him. Do you kind of look at it the same way?

LEE WESTWOOD: I try and make the most of every experience I have. Every major championship I play in, you never know what's around the corner.

I played major championships six, seven years ago when I thought it might have been my last major championship. I'm 50 years of age next April. I think that kind of longevity doesn't happen very often. I feel fortunate to still be playing in these championships.

Q. If you or another LIV member were to win this week, what kind of impact do you think it would have on the game? Is it the best way to shut the critics? Or the R&A wouldn't be happy if a LIV member was to win?

LEE WESTWOOD: Who told you that? Martin Slumbers? Did he tell you the R&A wouldn't be happy?

Q. Considering --

LEE WESTWOOD: Did he say that?

Q. No.

LEE WESTWOOD: Well, you just made that up then, all right. So we don't need to have that conversation, do we? I think he'll be happy with whoever is the Champion Golfer of the Year holding the trophy aloft on Sunday night because they'll have played the best.

And that's what the R&A want from this championship. They want the best player to win, regardless of what Tour they play on.

Q. What did you think of Tiger's comments?

LEE WESTWOOD: I didn't hear them. I've read little bits, but like most things, probably taken out of context.

Q. You've got LIV one after next, but then you've got a blank August, it looks like.

LEE WESTWOOD: I'm going on holiday.

Q. You're not going to bother playing in any?

LEE WESTWOOD: No. I'm playing in Bedminster, and then I have four weeks off.

Q. And then will you do Wentworth in between the two LIVs?

LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, if I'm allowed.

Q. Looks like you will be.

LEE WESTWOOD: It's a great championship. The BMW PGA is the showpiece on the European Tour, and it's the one that everybody wants to play in. Wentworth is amazing now after the redesign. They've got it just about as good as they could have done, as good as I've ever seen it.

Yeah, it's another championship that you enjoy going back to. I played every one since I've been on TOUR. So I wouldn't want to stop now.

Q. Tiger has quite a few words to say about LIV players. What did you make of that?

LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, and he's got a vested interest, hasn't he? The LIV players will talk up LIV. The PGA TOUR players that aren't on the LIV Tour will talk the PGA TOUR up and put down the LIV tour. So anybody who's got a vested interest.

I don't pay too much to people's opinions.

Q. But he's saying players that have gone to LIV have turned their back on those who made them.

LEE WESTWOOD: Tiger's entitled to his opinion.

Q. And you respect it?

LEE WESTWOOD: I respect Tiger as a golfer. He's one of the two best golfers that's ever played the game.