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WGC HSBC CHAMPIONS

November 6, 2010

Lee Westwood

SHANGHAI, CHINA

Third Round 67 (-13) 203 Total.

SCOTT CROCKETT: All right, Lee, thank you, as always, for coming in and joining us. Well done today. That was a good battle out there with Francesco, you both shot 67; looks for a good day tomorrow, as well.
LEE WESTWOOD: I think we both played pretty well. It will be a nice day tomorrow, a good three-ball, myself, Luke and Francesco. Obviously all playing the best out of anybody, because we've left a bit of a gap from the people behind.
But you know, you don't miss-count anybody coming from behind, because I know what it's like, two years ago, ten behind with ten to play and got in a playoff. It's a day tomorrow to just concentrate on keep doing the same things.
SCOTT CROCKETT: What pleased you most about today, Lee? No dropped shots is always pleasing for any professional; was that it? Was there any other aspect to the game?
LEE WESTWOOD: I think it's the best I've played all week; that's the most pleasing thing. Gradually things are getting better and I got into it more. I gave myself a lot of good chances today, really good chances on 5 and 6 that I didn't make. Didn't really have too much to do to make par anywhere.
So it was a pretty good round. I wouldn't say I had any breaks in particular. Just solid stuff all day.
SCOTT CROCKETT: Particularly pleasing to hole the birdie at 13 after Francesco put it in from the middle of the fairway.
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, you know, obviously -- watched Francesco hole his second shot, but what Francesco does wouldn't affect what I'm trying to do. It was a good yardage for me, 145 yards into a slight breeze and a driven 9-iron and good shot and I made the putt. It just happened that Francesco had holed an 8-iron from 155 yards.

Q. You have missed a birdie putt to tie with Francesco on 16. Can you tell us about that?
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I hit a good drive off the tee and then a lovely little chip out of the rough to I guess 3 1/2 feet. Francesco holed a nice putt from ten feet for par in front of me.
There was a little spike mark on my line and I think I just let it affect my stroke a little bit too much and I just pulled it a touch. And then obviously it hit the spike mark and carried on going left. It was just one of those things; when you're playing at the end of the field, these things happen. I wasn't too worried about it.

Q. What impresses you most about this Molinari?
LEE WESTWOOD: "This" Molinari. (Laughter).
SCOTT CROCKETT: If you can remember his name; I think she was hedging -- he thought it was Edoardo (laughter).
LEE WESTWOOD: 50/50 chance of getting it right.
SCOTT CROCKETT: And wrong.
LEE WESTWOOD: He's pretty solid tee-to-green. I think he's renowned for that. So I guess that.

Q. And a good putter, as well. A lot of important ones he makes, doesn't he? He's good on the 10-footers when they matter, because he used to get those down quite well.
LEE WESTWOOD: Well, that's your opinion. You asked me what I thought of his game and he's great tee-to-green. That's his strong part of his game. He doesn't miss many fairways and he hits a lot of good iron shots.

Q. With such a limited tournament schedule, do you now feel almost full into it?
LEE WESTWOOD: Not quite yet. It felt good out there and the most pleasing thing was my ankle felt the best it's felt all week today. So I think gradually I'm building up my leg muscles again, you know, walking around the golf course. That's one of most pleasing aspects for me.

Q. Has your ball-striking improved each day or steady all along?
LEE WESTWOOD: Been steady all along. But today was the best ball-striking today and it's the most control I felt like I've had over three days.

Q. You've been pairing up in the last group with Francesco last time probably in Portugal last year --
LEE WESTWOOD: No. I played in front of him.

Q. Last October?
LEE WESTWOOD: No. He played behind me.

Q. What do you think about the winning score tomorrow?
LEE WESTWOOD: The winning score, I have no idea. (Laughter).

Q. Last month at The Ryder Cup -- you're going to be paired with two of your compatriots. How satisfying would it be for you to come back and beat these guys, and will there be any kind of inside games tomorrow with the three of you being so close and teammates?
LEE WESTWOOD: We won't -- we may mention The Ryder Cup, but we are back to being individuals again tomorrow, and fight in your own corner. Yeah, we all played on a successful Ryder Cup Team a few weeks ago, but now we are individuals again and doing our own thing.

Q. We don't speak anymore about the first place race; do you think the race is over tomorrow? You are sure to be still be No. 1.
LEE WESTWOOD: I think I know what you mean. All through the week, I haven't thought about World Rankings or anything like that. I'm here to try and win the HSBC Champions Tournament.
The World Rankings are just something that reflects the way you play. So you can't go out and concentrate on trying to improve your World Ranking. You have to improve things that are in the process to achieving a high World Ranking.

Q. Just to continue on from that, I know you said you can't discount anyone, but are you slightly relieved that Kaymer, Woods and Phil have failed to muster a challenge?
LEE WESTWOOD: No. This is a world-class field here this week, and whoever is up there going into Sunday is obviously a world-class player capable of winning the tournament.
So you have to have the same attitude and concentrate on your own game; and you can't affect anybody else who is playing golf. You can only handle your own thing, and that's all I ever try and do.
Can I follow on? When I play a golf tournament, I look at the leaderboard but I don't see any other names. I see my name and the scores, and right now I'm one behind the leader, which won't win the golf tournament tomorrow afternoon. So I've got to get above.

Q. Why do you think, with what you just said a minute ago, I thought it was well said about the World Rankings being a reflection of how you're playing. But why do you think there's some people that have such a hard time understanding that, or do you have that sense at all?
LEE WESTWOOD: I think people have their favourites. A lot of people get confused. A lot of people get confused about Major Championships and who is the most consistent player in the world.
I know that I haven't won a Major Championship. I'm very well aware of that. But I do know I've probably played the most consistent golf in the world over the last two years, and that reflects in my World Ranking. I think that's why people get -- it's not a complicated system. It's a good system and it's a fair system, and you don't hear the players complaining about it; so it must be right.
SCOTT CROCKETT: Lee, thank you very much. Good luck tomorrow.

End of FastScripts

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