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ABU DHABI GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

January 20, 2010

Lee Westwood

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

LEE WESTWOOD: Obviously when you're under pressure, it obviously means a lot, shows you're fairly confident as well.
SCOTT CROCKETT: It was a great year for you, and you're always one to look forward and to look ahead to the year, and that year is now behind you, give us your thoughts on moving on to 2010 and starting your year here.
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I mean, it was a fantastic year last year but you have to at some point sort of stick it in a box and move on, but still feed off the confidence, especially from the end of the year and the last tournament.
So you know, it was nice to have a break after a long run of tournaments I suppose for me at the end of the year. I needed to sort of put my feet up and relax and enjoy what happened.
But it's nice to get back out and have the freshness and the enthusiasm starting again. It's obviously a spot that suits me. I've only played once and finished second and being on a desert course the last time, pretty successful, it's a great place to start this year.

Q. Your performance last time in the desert was pretty special; can you do the same here?
LEE WESTWOOD: I think it's a little more severe off the tee here. There's not as much room. The par 5s seem to play longer, as well, on the other course, quite reachable, apart from the 18th I guess.
So this would appear I think to be a harder test, and the fact that it's first week out after sort of six or seven weeks off, I guess most of the players won't have that sharpness.
So I can't see it being a 23-under course. I can sort of see more -- with this kind of rough, and especially the firmness of the greens, it will be interesting to see the way the greens play with the new grooves. It will be quite a good test for them. I think probably looking around 14-under I guess.

Q. Which of those patches is new since last year and do you have any on your bag?
LEE WESTWOOD: That's new. Most have been moved around really. That's gone from there to there, that's gone from there to there, that's got bigger, that's in the same spot, New York Stock Exchange is off at the moment, could be coming back on, and PING is obviously had a sabbatical and now it's back.

Q. There's no limit, is there, because it used to be the size, that you could only have a certain size?
LEE WESTWOOD: I don't think there's a limit. Nobody said anything, and that's The European Tour one, so that would be the first one to go, won't it. (Laughter).

Q. What do you think is going to be the main strategy for players out there this week? In the past, consistency, accuracy has been quite important, especially the new grooves. Do you think consistency is going to be more important, than being a longer hitter?
LEE WESTWOOD: Obviously it does suit a long hitter, but being in the rough all the time, that advantage is going to be taken away.
So long, straight driving is going to be a big advantage as it is on most courses, but it's an even larger premium on it here I think, especially with the greens being firm. Obviously if you can go into the greens and out of the fairway with a short club, you'll have a massive advantage.

Q. You set the bar very high last year; where is the bar aiming this year? What are your goals for this year?
LEE WESTWOOD: To contend in the majors again and hopefully win one of those. You know, obviously feel like I should have won The Open Championship last year but didn't and learn a few things from that.
So the more often you get into situations like that, I feel more comfortable and getting to the stage now where I should be in that position most majors.

Q. You obviously would feel disappointed if you didn't achieve the same as last year; is that a minimum goal, do you think, achieving the same as you did last year?
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I guess so. I think all players want to improve. But winning the Money List, there's not many places to go on from there, other than I suppose winning it by more.
But the majors are where I can improve the most because I haven't won one, and that's everybody's goal I would guess. It's the yardstick by which all top professionals are measured.

Q. Have you ever felt more eager for a season to start than this one?
LEE WESTWOOD: No, I don't think I have. You know, although I enjoyed the time off. It was a long six weeks, especially I suppose with the snow at home, an enforced break. It makes you feel even keener to get out in the sun and start practising again.

Q. What did you do during the snow? Did you play at all?
LEE WESTWOOD: I went to Barbados. It was booked anyway, but the four nights when the snow was thickest on the ground. So I did manage to play Sandy Lane four times while I was there. You know, I was just playing, I wasn't practising, and I wasn't particularly thinking about it, either. But at least I was going through the motions.

Q. Have you adjusted your schedule this year or will you play the same as you did last year?
LEE WESTWOOD: I don't know how many I'm playing but I've adjusted it slightly. Last year I did a couple of trips where, you know, flying backwards and forwards to Asia and things like that, and I've got rid of those, and I'm playing I think three extra events in the States. Playing Honda, Wachovia and PLAYERS, I didn't play last year. So I think the tournaments will be about the same, though. It's probably around 28.

Q. Are you taking up a card?
LEE WESTWOOD: No, I'll still only play 11 but the run-up to the Masters will be these three weeks, week off, Match Play, two weeks off -- no, a week off, Honda, Doral, two weeks off, Houston, Augusta. And a couple of weeks off and I play Wachovia and PLAYERS.

Q. A lot of the players that were chasing a card at the end of last season are back here again, how do you think it's going to pan out this time?
LEE WESTWOOD: Well, I'm delighted, they have got a strong field really. I don't know, if I was a gambling man, I would never bet this week because it's very difficult to predict how people are going to come out after the break.
You don't know how much people are going to play, how sharp they are going to be and how they are going to react to time off and things like that. But looking at the World Rankings and the Money List last year, you would think all of the main contenders are teeing it up this week.
SCOTT CROCKETT: Lee, thanks, as always for that. Good luck this week.

End of FastScripts

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