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MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 8, 2010

Lee Westwood

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon. We welcome Lee Westwood. Lee shot a marvelous 5-under par 67 today. Lee as you know is a six-time European Ryder Cup Team member, PGA European Tour victories and his 11th Masters appearance. We will open it up to questions.

Q. What worked well for you?
LEE WESTWOOD: I started off well, birdied the second and third and my only two dropped shots of the day were two 3-putts on 4 and 5 but came back quickly with a nice iron shot on 6 and made that 15-footer for birdie there and just played solidly. I played solidly all day. I didn't miss a green in regulation. Gave myself a lot of chances. Hit it close. Picked up shots on three of the par 5s. Hit a big drive on the last.

Q. You were joking when you got in here, but with Tom Watson on top of that board again, I mean, did you ever think that in your prime that you would be a rival with him?
LEE WESTWOOD: Well, no. (Laughter) And yes. I was lucky enough to partner him in the Dubai Desert Classic Par 3 tournament earlier on in the year, and just getting that close to him and seeing how well he swings the club and how well he strikes the ball; he's always going to have class.
So it's no surprise, really.

Q. How do you explain the scoring being so good?
LEE WESTWOOD: I think we were a little kind to us with some of the flags. But it was still very tricky out there. I just think, you know, yeah, the wind is moving around a little bit now. Towards the end of the round, it started to move just a little bit.
The course is in fantastic condition. The greens are immaculate. You start a putt on the right line, it doesn't deviate off-line. The flags could get a lot harder. So that's really the reason for so many good, low scores, I would say.

Q. I was just wondering, when you come here, do you think of this as a golf course that sets up well for you? Your performance here over the years, you've had some good rounds and some bad rounds, and last year you had a little bit of both all in the same tournament. Do you look forward to getting back here? Is there a sense of dread, just sort of what this place holds for you in your head?
LEE WESTWOOD: There's never any dread. It does feel like a golf course that ought to suit me. There are a couple of tee shots that require a big draw but if you don't play that shot, you can still play the hole and walk off with par. Over the last few years, I've gradually found a way to plod my way around and feel more comfortable. I was saying to Billy, my caddie, coming up the last, that although it's the best I've ever played around here, it's the most comfortable I've felt on the golf course. I'm gradually working out a way for me to get around this golf course in as few of shots as possible.

Q. Where does that rank among Augusta rounds; it's the best?
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, it's the best: I shot 68 playing with Steve Pate in 1999, third round. But I think I've only broken 70 three or four times.

Q. That's the best you've played around here?
LEE WESTWOOD: Easily the best. That was a 67 that could have been a 64 or anything today. You go out here, every green in regulation, I missed -- what shot was it -- 7, I missed 7 by about that far (indicating two feet) and 13 by that far away (an inch). Each time I missed it the right side. 18 greens in regulation around here I don't think people often do.

Q. When you have the two three putts, how important was the fact that you contended in a few majors recently, and getting your head straight back on tack?
LEE WESTWOOD: Well, it's a 72-hole tournament and we were five holes in. I've certainly learnt patience over the last few years, and that has a lot to do with playing major championships successfully I think. You can get ahead of yourself, and you can be your own worst enemy sometimes.

Q. Can you walk us through your birdie holes?
LEE WESTWOOD: The second I hit a good drive with a 3-iron in the left hand trap up to about 15 feet.
3, drove it just short of the green and pitched up to 15 feet.
6, 8-iron, again, about 15 feet right behind the hole.
12, I was about ten feet behind the hole.
13, driver, 3-iron, just short left and pitched it to about 12 feet.
15, driver, 5-iron in the right-hand trap, came out to eight inches.
18, brilliant drive, started right against the edge of the trap and went 30 yards up the hill but managed to just sort of manufacture a wedge and got it to sort of five feet, so made that. But I had a lot of chances, other chances other than that.

Q. I understand that you've been putting in even more work in the gym and fitness and stuff in the last few years; is that correct?
LEE WESTWOOD: No, not more. I've just been working out continuously.

Q. Is there anything about your game considering what you achieved last year that's got better?
LEE WESTWOOD: My short game is improving all the time. I'm gradually getting the hang of that, after 17 years. And mentally, I'm pretty solid, I would say, yeah.
If you're playing well, then your confidence is high, and mentally you can be a lot more relaxed and focused.

Q. Was it principally the experience of playing here at Augusta that persuaded you a couple of years ago, whatever it was, that you have to improve your short game?
LEE WESTWOOD: No, my short game just wasn't up to the standard of the rest of my game. It needed work. So you know, I've worked hard on it, and now it's paying dividends. My bunker play is -- well, you can't compare what my bunker play used to be like to what it is now.

Q. Whenever a player comes close to winning a major, and doesn't win, you hear him say, "I can build on this, I can take something out of this." What did you take out of Torrey Pines and Turnberry that you think might help you here, and later?
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, and the PGA, as well. Just that, you know, if you get that close, then you know you've proved to yourself and everybody else that you are good enough. You've got a good enough game to win a major championship. It's really eradicating the odd mistake, thinking a little bit clearer when it matters. Like I said, learning from your mistakes.

Q. Do you feel ready to win at Augusta now?
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I can't see any reason why not.

Q. A couple of years ago, you came off and said you'd fallen out of love with the course and you didn't like playing it; presumably, you've changed your mind about that now.
LEE WESTWOOD: What did I shot that day? (Laughter) Amazing, that. If you play poorly, then you say these things occasionally. You grab us off the 18th green when we are still hot under the collar, sometimes only three minutes after we have left the last green. A cooling down period would be nice every now and again.

Q. Your first major with new grooves, what are your impressions? What do you see?
LEE WESTWOOD: Well, I hit 18 greens in regulation. I think it's going to affect chipping more than anything else.
I can't really tell you much about it today. I think it's going to have a more dramatic effect in the major championships than in the regular tour events where the greens get firm. Or, say the U.S. Open where the rough is thicker and the greens are firm, then you'll see a bit of a change.

Q. But you don't see it in your irons?
LEE WESTWOOD: Well, my groves basically from last year conformed this year, so I haven't had to change too much.

Q. That's not what PING said?
LEE WESTWOOD: Well, I'm not lying. (Laughter) My wedge, sand wedge -- my sand wedge, lob-wedge and 8-iron in my set that I won the Money List with last year passed for this year, because I used them for three or four months.

Q. When you played with Tom in Dubai, did you talk about the Open, and did he sort of encourage you going forward what you had done there as evidence --
LEE WESTWOOD: No, we didn't talk about it at all. It wasn't something I thought he probably wanted to talk about, and it's certainly not something I want to talk about.
So, no.

Q. And how did you get on then?
LEE WESTWOOD: I get on great with Tom.

Q. How did you perform? You said it was a Par 3 tournament?
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, we finished last and I lost in a playoff in the real tournament, and he finished sixth. So it's knowing when to play well. (Laughter).

Q. Tom was in here saying that the beauty of this golf course is that there's a tragedy out there lurking on any hole and it can come at any time. Did you think at this point in your career you're better prepared to handle any of those things than five years ago?
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I think that's what experience is all about. I think that's why you see Tom up there, Bernhard Langer up there, people that have played well here in the past, and you get repeat winners, because it is a golf course that requires a lot of concentration and focus. You can't let your guard down for a second.
You'll get into the spots where you can't be aggressive from on holes that you would normally like to be aggressive and then you have to, you know, use some common sense. So, yeah, I feel like I've been in a lot of those spots and can move on from that.

Q. What did you think of the Italian boy that you played with?
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I think he's got a big future. You have to pinch yourself and remind yourself that he's only 16 and got a very mature game. He'll be around for a long time. There's not that many weaknesses in his game.

Q. Personality, too?
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, he's a nice lad. I would say Italian golf looks good.

Q. Does he remind you of Seve, a very young Seve.
LEE WESTWOOD: Well, I can't really compare because I wasn't around when Seve was young like you. (Laughter).
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, we wish you luck the rest of the week, Lee.

End of FastScripts

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