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MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 10, 2010

Lee Westwood

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA

THE MODERATOR: We would like to welcome Lee Westwood, who just had another great round today, and open it up to questions.

Q. Have you ever been in anything this exciting or change so quickly?
LEE WESTWOOD: Sorry?

Q. Have you ever been through anything as exciting or something that changed so quickly on the golf course?
LEE WESTWOOD: No, it was probably one of those great days in golf, a major championship. I obviously wasn't privy to the things that you have been in seeing all that. But you know, I was well aware that somebody was making a charge, and I figured it was Phil.
So, yeah, that's what major championships are about. They are tough ones to win, because people, great players do great things at major championships.

Q. How much of the scoring you guys were producing here is weather-related, and is any of it related to any subtle changes in the golf course?
LEE WESTWOOD: I think scoring anywhere is weather related. If you get calm conditions, we tend to exploit them. It's very difficult to tuck flags away for us, although, this is -- this is where they are experts at it.
So, you know, if you play well, and control your iron shots well, then you can shoot good scores out there if you're in control of your golf ball well and miss it in the right spots.
If you don't, then, you know, a bad score is waiting.

Q. What's your strategy for tomorrow with Phil one shot behind and Tiger three?
LEE WESTWOOD: Same as it was today, to ignore them and just play my own game. That's all I've done for the first two days. That's what I did in Dubai last year, and that's the only thing I can control, just hitting it where I want to hit it and keeping it under the hole and miss it in the right spots, holing the odd putt.

Q. In 35 minutes, you went from being five ahead of Phil to being one --
LEE WESTWOOD: Glad you were timing it. Seemed quicker. (Laughter).

Q. You only had one bogey.
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, and that was a pretty good shot.

Q. How did you manage to keep -- because it would have shattered many a golfer.
LEE WESTWOOD: Because what Phil Mickelson does is really out of my control. The only thing I can control, as I've said all week, is what I do, where I hit it. You know, the guys up on the leaderboard there are great players. They are going to do something. You have to expect the unexpected at times.

Q. You must have been proud of yourself, the way your composure did show on that.
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I've been proud of myself all week, really. I've hit hardly any poor shots. I've hit a lot of good shots and like I said, controlled my emotions well and got up-and-down when I needed to. It was a great par at the last, and nice to go into tomorrow with the lead.

Q. How important was the first birdie, when the people in front you all started very well indeed?
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, you hear the cheers, but I didn't really pay any attention to it. I hit a good drive down the first and a nice wedge shot right where I wanted it, under the hole. And made a nice 25-footer to start the day. Missed from five feet at the next, but, you know that's to be expected. You're going to have some slippery ones out there with a lot of break, and just played solid stuff. Hit a great shot into 4 with a 4-iron. Made a nice putt. Nice birdie on 8. Nice birdie on 10 but gave myself chances in between there, as well.
I'm not wearing blue today, either. (Laughter).

Q. You were just walking off the 11th green when the Mickelson roar and score went up, and it looked like you never looked at the scoreboard at all at any stage?
LEE WESTWOOD: There was no need to look at the scoreboard. (Laughter).

Q. You just knew it was Mickelson, did you?
LEE WESTWOOD: Well, you have a fair idea where people are on the golf course. I heard a cheer when I was coming down 11, I figured he made the crowd behind the 12th there cheer when he made eagle. You know, you're faced with 11, 12, 13 around this golf course, there's no room for thinking about what somebody else is doing.

Q. Is this sort of second-coming of Lee Westwood more satisfying than the original, given what you went through?
LEE WESTWOOD: It's a deep question.

Q. Deep answer.
LEE WESTWOOD: I think when you go through a slump, it's -- the first time I played well, it was easy to take it for granted because I was young and I didn't really -- I had not really experienced any poor play.
Now I've experienced both ends of the spectrum, and you learn to appreciate things more as you get older and the more good times and bad times you've been through.

Q. How did you sleep last night and how do you think you'll sleep tonight?
LEE WESTWOOD: I slept great last night. There's nothing like not having to set an alarm clock, and that's one thing you can do, because you're always out in the middle of the afternoon when you're out late. I don't think I'll have any problem sleeping tonight, either.

Q. You've never led a major going into the final day, have you?
LEE WESTWOOD: So? It won't stop me sleeping. (Laughing).

Q. You tied for third in the last two majors, what will it take for you to get it done tomorrow? Do you have a number in mind? What's your mind-set?
LEE WESTWOOD: No, that's a mistake people have made before is to have a number in mind. Like I said, it's very boring, I'm just going to go out and keep playing to my game plan the way I've played. Start off tomorrow morning, tomorrow afternoon, try and hit that first fairway and we'll go from there and see what happens.
Try and hole the odd putt, not make too many mistakes, and see what the situation is at 7:00 tomorrow night.

Q. Can you just talk about the impact Pete Cowen has had on your game?
LEE WESTWOOD: He's had a massive impact on my game. I started seeing him in '96, I think it was, and I've worked on and off with him since then. More recently, he's had a big influence on my short game. My chipping, my pitching and my bunker play has improved immensely. I think that's there for everybody to see.

Q. Wanted to ask you about what you look forward to playing with Phil; have you had previous experiences with him and how they have gone, and also I'd like to hear the birdies and bogeys?
LEE WESTWOOD: I've not played with Phil that much that I can recall. I've played a lot with him in The Ryder Cup but that's -- that's still playing with him, isn't it, I suppose.
The birdies and bogeys, driver, wedge at the first to 20 feet, 25 feet, made that one.
4 iron, 10 feet on the 4th.
Driver, 5-wood about 35, 40 feet behind the hole on 8, two putts.
3-wood, 6-iron to 10 to about 18 feet.
Driver, 5-iron to 15, about 20 feet under the hole. Two putts.

Q. You've been in situations before where you've been very much in contention final day of a major championship, and are you -- you look very relaxed today. Are you more relaxed now than you were even at Torrey Pines?
LEE WESTWOOD: Oh, I'm miles more relaxed, yeah. It was amazing how calm I felt out there today. I've got my own little bubble in my own little world that I wander around in now. I think Billy has a lot to do with that. He keeps me very settled. He's always doing funny things out there.

Q. Does Nick Faldo give any advice or do you take anything from him?
LEE WESTWOOD: No, he's not given any advice to me, no.

Q. This is a very fan-friendly leaderboard. Is this a player-friendly leaderboard? Would you rather these be the names that are chasing you than some lesser ones?
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, it's a very player-friendly leaderboard when you're me and at the top of it. (Laughter).
I think that's what everybody wants to see. Everybody has missed Tiger on the golf course the last five, six months and he's up there, and Phil is obviously -- you've got 4, 3, and 1 in the world on the leaderboard. It's a good leaderboard I think.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much. Good luck tomorrow.

End of FastScripts

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