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PORTUGAL MASTERSOctober 14, 2009Lee WestwoodVILAMOURA, PORTUGAL Q. Who do you think should be the Chairman of the Tournament Committee? LEE WESTWOOD: I think any player with aspirations to do well on this Tour should not seriously take on the role of the chairman of the committee. I'd make it a paid post and give it to somebody that's not concentrating on playing golf. I think you'd just become a pin cushion for people on the putting green, firing complaints at you and it's just personal things they wanted sorted out and I don't think that's the chairman of the committee's job. Q. is that something that will be brought up at the meeting tomorrow? LEE WESTWOOD: I don't know. I'm not on the committee. I try and stay out of it. It's not really my sort of thing. Q. They will struggle to get a new one if that's everyone's view? LEE WESTWOOD: I don't know how it all works -- I've never sat in on a committee meeting. You're in a no-win situation when you're trying to concentrate on getting your game in shape and shooting 65 on a Thursday and people coming up and asking you why there's not enough pasta in the players' lounge. Q. This week? LEE WESTWOOD: Well, one thing when you look out there and see the conditions, there is only one viable candidate for The Ryder Cup -- somewhere where the weather is reliable. You look at the candidates, this is the obvious one This place is pretty much -- well, it's very reliable. If you're going to have it in Europe, you've got to place it a bit around. Been a lot of talk about how often Britain has had it, and obviously Spain had it at Valderrama, in my opinion. But I don't have much of an opinion because I'm not the chairman and all that. Q. Have you done your order of merit sums since the Dunhill? LEE WESTWOOD: No. My goal is to get to Dubai either leading, or within an amount of money that is less than the difference between first and second; I could win the tournament and win the Money List. Q. There is also the scenario you could get to Dubai and it's all over? LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, but that's -- you know, every credit to the person that's leading. Q. Would take a lot away though? LEE WESTWOOD: Well, that's just the way it is sometimes. If you want, that's the great thing about the Order of Merit is it's about competing over the season. It's not about one event. I don't think it will come down to that, but though you said it may do. Q. Are you surprised to see Rory leading? LEE WESTWOOD: Not at all. You've got to be consistent over the season and a lot of good results, play a lot of big events, have a win at the start of the year. No, not at all. Q. Do you think he'll feel pressure? LEE WESTWOOD: I don't think you feel pressure when you are 20, do you? You can't remember being 20 -- it's what you make in your own mind, really. He's not playing like he's under too much pressure Q. Do you like the idea of the wheel barrows with the money behind the green? LEE WESTWOOD: Well, no. I look at -- that's what it means to me. It's not the bonus, it's the fact that you've shown consistency over a long period of time, and over however many tournaments you played, you come out number one. Q. How would winning it this year compare to 2000? LEE WESTWOOD: Well, you know, it was the be all and end all at that stage, and while I'm playing for the individual tournaments themselves, my primary focus, if I was to play, my focus would be to try to win the Order of Merit, that was my primary goal for the rest of the season but that's going to involve playing well in these next few events and trying to win a couple. The least it's going to take is winning one and finishing in the top 5. But to win two would certainly give me a better chance. Q. You won six times in 2000. LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, six times on the Money List, yeah. I am not as consistent a winner as I was back then -- but I think I'm a more consistent player - certainly in Majors and WGCs -- winning those, where I didn't in 2000 and I feel more comfortable in those big events. Q. Are you a better player? LEE WESTWOOD: I've got a few places, a few compartments in the game that need fine-tuning to push me over the winning line. I don't think it's so much but the odd shot here or there can make a massive difference. Q. What can you do to fine tune? LEE WESTWOOD: You have to right down everything and see where you can improve and work on those areas and try and improve it. Yeah, I mean, you have to be honest and look at your game honestly. I know what it is in my game, from 80 yards and in, I'm not sharp enough and not getting up-and-down as I should. So that's an area I spend most of my time working on when I'm away from the golf course and away from tournaments. Q. Is it something that comes with age: the ability to be so honest with yourself?. LEE WESTWOOD: It's a very difficult question. I've gone through points in my career where I worked on difference things. I don't think my short game is pretty sharp -- inaudible -- and a lot of putts you can get away with, and then I worked on the long game a lot because I felt like that was letting me down and I didn't work on my short game and putting and then I worked on my long game to get back to that stage, and then my short game is letting me down. So now that I'm happy with my long game and I've had a chance to putt that to one side, because it's reliable and consistent, I've had chances over the last 18 months to work on my short game and putting more and not let my long game slip away, keep that on a good level. Q. Inaudible. LEE WESTWOOD: Other players have had the grooves checked and some conform and some do but very, very fine when you're playing in tournaments -- inaudible -- fairly sophisticated equipment. There will be a slight difference but one thing is for sure, the short game now, they will have a good short game and technique -- but now -- they will have a good technique -- (Inaudible.) Q. Inaudible. LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, it will benefit the person that hits the ball better tee-to-green and keeps it in position more. I think they are going to have look at the way they set up the golf courses because at the end of the day, we are playing in tournaments and going through a financial crisis with everybody else at the moment, we don't want to come across as looking like we are not giving an attractive product and things like that. I don't think people want to tune in to see players struggling and the grooves could come -- inaudible -- it's going to be a fine balancing act between the tradition of the game and providing entertainment. End of FastScripts |
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