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WGC BRIDGESTONE INVITATIONAL

August 3, 2010

Lee Westwood

AKRON, OHIO

RODDY WILLIAMS: Lee, thanks very much for coming in and joining us, and welcome here to the Bridgestone Invitational. A couple of very big weeks in the golfing season for you. How are you feeling coming into this week?
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, not too bad. I've had a couple of weeks off since the Open Championship, so well rested, looking forward to these two weeks, two big weeks, like you said. Next week obviously the last major of the year, so next couple of days try to sharpen the game up and see how we go.
RODDY WILLIAMS: You said you took two weeks off. Have you done much in those two weeks.
LEE WESTWOOD: No, I've hardly hit a ball. I've just been trying to rest up and keep the rehab going and trying not to do too much. I haven't played much golf. I'm under prepared really but still could play well.

Q. How is the ankle? You were struggling during the Open. How has the two weeks been in resting that?
LEE WESTWOOD: Well, it seems to be improving. My trainer is pleased with the way things are going. I think if it was a 5 at the Open, it's probably a 61/2, 7 now. So probably four weeks into rehabbing it and another four weeks to go, so it's all on course, I guess. Fortunately I don't have any pain from it, it's just irritating. At the end of every day it's swollen up, just as I walk round and exercise it, it pulls around my ankle, so it's just uncomfortable, really. It's unfortunate because it's not allowed me to practice as I'd like at this time of year or get in the gym and train. So I'm a bit behind schedule in regards to those things too.

Q. You'll play through that?
LEE WESTWOOD: Well, I think the positive side is because I haven't practiced a lot and I played obviously the Open and took it light that week, I've had like a mid-term break almost, so I'm feeling refreshed and ready to go again.

Q. A couple years ago you played very well here and had an opportunity to win. How does this golf course shape up as a major, as a prep for a major, and also, do you get a -- can you get worked up about this event, as well?
LEE WESTWOOD: I'll answer them in the opposite order. Yeah, this is one of my -- this is one, if not, my favorite week of the year, I think. It's one of my favorite golf courses, so it's easy to get up for this. It's a World Golf Championship, which is obviously a prestigious title. It's great prep for next week because it feels like a major championship-type golf course. You need to hit fairways, greens are normally very quick, very true, quite firm if it doesn't rain heavily. So there's a premium on hitting fairways. It tests your short game out, which is obviously going to be tested next week, as well.
You know, it's a tournament I always look forward to and I think in the past, results have reflected that for me, second, and quite a few Top 10s, and I think my lowest score is 63, so it suits my eye, as well.

Q. Your ankle, has there been a point during play in which it affected the way you played a shot?
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, when I get on uneven lies it's uncomfortable. There's been a couple of times that -- it tends to be more when the ball is quite a bit below my feet. Fortunately I didn't have that too many times at the Open Championship, although it's a links course, St. Andrews is fairly flat. There are times when I'm aware of it.

Q. Pete Collins is on quite a roll with the last two major winners and working with you. Can you talk about what makes him such a good coach and when you hooked up with him and what he's done for you?
LEE WESTWOOD: I think he's got a good eye, he's got good knowledge. He's coached a lot of different players, so he's probably come across some of the problems in swings and cures. He's very experienced. He's very passionate about the game, as well. And he's not afraid of hard work.
You know, if I want to go out on the range and stand out there all day, he'll be out there five minutes longer than me looking for somebody else to teach probably (laughter.)

Q. Give me your take on Louis. Are you surprised he won? What do you think of his swing? What do you expect from him moving forward? Were you at the Jigger Inn?
LEE WESTWOOD: No, I wasn't actually. I went home. I think most people would have been surprised that he won the Open Championship, but when you watch him hit the ball and see his all-around game, the only surprise would be that he hasn't won more often. Anybody within the game that's watched him has been impressed with the way he swings the club and hits the ball. The way he won the Open, mentally he won it in a very strong manner, I think.

Q. Is that swing one of the best in golf to your trained eye?
LEE WESTWOOD: To my own trained eye? Yeah, I think he's got a very -- what's the word? A very efficient swing, yeah. Not many moving parts where there shouldn't be. He's very orthodox. I like the way he flights the ball. You can see why he did well in strong winds at the Open.

Q. Five of the last six majors have been won by first-time winners and you came close to making it six in a row at the Masters. What does that say about the state of the game and do you see that maybe continuing down the road?
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I do. I think golf is very strong in depth at the moment. Players are better coached nowadays in all aspects of their game, physical and mental. They're not afraid to win and get into positions more regularly, I think, than maybe they used to. Obviously Tiger has not won as many as you would have thought he would have won recently, so that creates room for other people to win majors, as well.

Q. It's been quite a year for the UK. Have you guys inspired each other do you think possibly?
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I think any time you get a group playing well together as we did with Europeans in the 80s and early 90s, that's obviously helped. We do tend to look and think, well, if he can do it, so can I type of thing. I'm sure that exists, yeah.

Q. I'm going to throw in a Ryder Cup question. Obviously you guys shape up as the favorites. I don't think anybody -- not too many people dispute that. Is there any pressure either way? I mean, if you're an underdog there's less. You guys will be at home, so it might put a little more on you. But you're playing better arguably, so how does it shape up in your estimation?
LEE WESTWOOD: Well, you pretty much answered the question there.

Q. I didn't mean to.
LEE WESTWOOD: I think, yeah, on paper, you look down the World Rankings, I think Monty could leave somebody out in the Top 20 of the world with the way things are at the moment. He could be picking from a group of -- I'll probably get this wrong, Harrington, Rose, Casey, Stenson, Carlson, Garcia, Quiros, all great players. Molinari is in there, as well. I think he's in the Top 10 in the world. There's not much in the strength of the team at the moment that you could look at, it's THE PLAYERS he may have to leave out. But as last time proved, I think we probably had a stronger team on paper last time, but we didn't win. It's all about how you play and the goods you produce on the week and the putts you hole at the right times. You know, the American team is capable of doing that as we are.

Q. Can you recall what the most nervous you were over any shot in any situation in Ryder Cups past?
LEE WESTWOOD: I think the first tee shot you ever hit is probably the most nerve-wracking, just that not knowing what to expect feeling, teeing the ball up on the first tee.

Q. Is that every tee shot or just the first one?
LEE WESTWOOD: No, just the first one you ever play, I think. It gets easier.

Q. How did your first tee shot go?
LEE WESTWOOD: Up the middle fortunately. It took me a couple times to get the ball on the tee, but when it did it went up the middle. Fortunately I was playing with Nick Faldo and it's much easier when you look across and see a six-time major champion and an experienced player of 11 or however many Ryder Cups he's played as your partner. I figured if I missed the fairway he'd probably hit it.

Q. Was it Valderrama?
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah.
RODDY WILLIAMS: Lee, thanks very much indeed. Good luck this week.

End of FastScripts

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