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DUBAI WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY DP WORLDNovember 23, 2010Lee WestwoodDUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES RODDY WILLIAMS: Lee, welcome back to Jumeirah Golf Estates as defending champion of the Dubai World Championship. Obviously your win here last year got you to world No. 1. How nice is it to be back? LEE WESTWOOD: It's great to be back. I've got a lot of good memories obviously from this golf course. So it's just nice to be back and like you say, it's not European No. 1 no, it's world No. 1, so that's extra special I suppose RODDY WILLIAMS: What memories did you have going around the course today? LEE WESTWOOD: 'How did I shoot 23-under around here,' was going through my mind going down about the 12th. I have to be careful this week not to get caught up in trying to achieve what I achieved last year, because it was a fairly special tournament and I played obviously near flawless golf I think. You know, getting caught up in that, I could really set my expectations too high for this week. Over the next day or so, I've got to formulate another game plan to try and make it as good as last year's. RODDY WILLIAMS: Presumably your mind-set will be different, anyway, because you are coming here as world No. 1. LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, that doesn't really sort of factor into the way I will play the golf course. It's just, you know, the fact that I've got so many good memories from last year, you know, I could really lose touch of -- or lose a sense of what I want to go out there and how I want to perform. I could get caught up in sort of 15-under at this stage last year and all that sort of thing. It's a new canvas I think, and have to try to put a new painting down on it. (Laughter) I don't know, just came to me. I haven't been thinking about it for a year. (Laughter) Q. You're now No. 1 in the world, did it change anything for you like pressure or anything? And did Tiger congratulate you with your No. 1 status? LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, Tiger congratulated me in China a couple of weeks ago and said I've deserved to be world No. 1 because I've played so consistently and played well in the big events. There's a lot more attention. There's a difference between one of the best in the world and the best in the world. So there's a lot more attention. I wear out a lot more felt tips. I do a lot more interviews. I answer the same questions a lot more often. (Laughing) That was a little dig at you -- not so much you. Yeah, there's a lot more attention and a lot more responsibility, I suppose, because I'm representing golf now, I suppose, as the world No. 1, rather than just myself and the Tour. It's quite a privilege to be the world No. 1 in anything. Q. The badge on your sleeve, is there a ceremonial ripping off of that this week? LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, there ought to be. Like I say, it's an honour to be European No. 1, last year, and trying to defend it this year. If I'm unsuccessful, then I'll take it off and hopefully it will be taken up by the next person that wins it and carries it along. I think it's good for the Tour and good for the brand of the Tour. Q. Won't keep wearing it with '09? LEE WESTWOOD: No, I don't think so. I think it will come off. I'll let 2010 take over. Q. You touched upon in it your informative opening remarks, but when you come here, world No. 1, having won so impressively last year, you are you thought there thinking, you haven't got to just turn up, is it a constant fight to keep telling yourself that? LEE WESTWOOD: Well, I know I don't have to just turn up. Look at how well I played in the last event I played in and I didn't win that. I don't get carried away like that. I'm fortunate in the way that I've seen what golf can do to you when you are at the top of the game more or less and struggle a little bit. So it's a great equaliser sometimes, so you have to keep working as hard as possible and be on the ball all the time. Q. And after European No. 1, world No. 1, what comes next? LEE WESTWOOD: I don't know. Q. Well, you've been pumping iron like Mr. Universe, as someone said. LEE WESTWOOD: I think just to improve and try to get further away in the World Rankings. All I can do is just try and improve all the time and do my best all the time and be the best golfer that Lee Westwood can be. I can't be anything else. You know, it's just that, and that involves just a lot of hard work and working along the same lines as I've been doing for the last three or four years, just try to improve everything gradually. There's no magic potion you take or fairy dust you sprinkle. It's just hard work. Q. And painting. LEE WESTWOOD: And painting. Occasionally. (Laughing). Q. You've been No. 1 for a month now. I wonder if there's still a debate about your worthiness -- I mean, I wonder if you follow it. LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I've heard that question -- Q. The question is, but it's still going on after a month. I wonder if it irritates you or if you note it or it motivates you. LEE WESTWOOD: Well I don't really read them to be perfectly honest. It's not for me to say, either. I've become world No. 1 and I guess it's for everybody else to debate about. But either way, I don't really give a monkey's. (Laughing) Q. You don't? LEE WESTWOOD: No, not at all. I thought when I wasn't world No. 1, when I got injured, I thought if I had not it got injured, I would have got to world No. 1 quicker. I think it was unfortunate timing. So in a way, it made me wait. Q. But just, people saying, he's never won a Major, so therefore, he is not worthy. LEE WESTWOOD: Well, you're one I'm not one of these people that confuses being world No. 1 and winning Major Championships, obviously, if you're asking that question. A difference. Q. No, I'm not -- I'm asking -- LEE WESTWOOD: Because if it was the same thing, whoever won a Major Championship would go straight to No. 1 at the end of the week; and do they deserve to do that. You know, people come out of nowhere and win Major Championships. Well, that's not being No.1 in this sport is what it's about. It's about consistency and performing well all the time at the highest level. Q. But I'm asking the question. It's not what I think. People are saying this; so don't confuse the two. LEE WESTWOOD: You're digging a hole. Q. No, I'm not. LEE WESTWOOD: Well, I've just told you what I think. Q. You've partly answered what was going to be my question now. But had you remained injury-free, did you think you could also have retained your European Order of Merit, Race to Dubai honour, as well? LEE WESTWOOD: Well, I don't think, that's hypothetical. You could have asked Martin last year after he fell off the go-kart or whatever he did. It's not really a fair question. But I would have hoped to have played more than 13 counting events up to now this year on The European Tour, and the way I've been playing and the consistency I've shown, I'd certainly have more money up. So I would maybe have had a better chance going into this event, being closer to the leaders. But the form that the two lads that have shown that are up there, they are the most prolific winners on Tour along with Miguel this year, so they deserve to be in that spot and have a chance to win the Money List. Q. And you come here injury-free at the moment. Is it still 100 per cent? LEE WESTWOOD: No, it's still not 100 per cent, but I'm gradually edging to 100 per cent. It's just a slow process finishing it all off. That's why I'm taking my time coming back and not overplaying and gradually just edging my way back so I don't take a step back again like I did playing too much at The Ryder Cup and the Dunhill. Q. How long do you think you can maintain world No. 1 status for, and when do you think Tiger will come back, and is he going to come back stronger? LEE WESTWOOD: You're asking a question I can't answer. It's impossible for me to know that. Hopefully as long as possible. And as for Tiger, I have no idea. He probably doesn't know. But I know he'll be working hard, that's for sure. Q. Here's a question you can answer. LEE WESTWOOD: Thank you. Q. For those of us who have struggled to comprehend Fabio Capello, I wondered if you had any difficulty with him, and what you might have talked about that night. LEE WESTWOOD: No, I'm used to talking to Miguel Angel Jiménez, so I've got a good understanding of the continental languages. (Laughter). We discussed all sorts of things. We discussed football. We discussed golf. I told him how lucky Italian golfers were at the moment. (Laughter) Just joking. No, we were talking about the Molinari brothers and Matteo Manassero and we were talking about the differences between sort of being a great player and being the best at something. We both decided it was between the ears pretty much in any sport, the mental strengths and the advantages to that. I was talking about, you know, the differences that you can recognise in golf and he was talking about the differences in football. Q. It's funny how he's trying to understand fully how England don't function as an international football and I don't suppose he sought your expertise on that, did he, knowing that you're a big football fan? LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I think he probably has a lot of the answers. But you know, I think as in any sport, the country is only as good as the players or the talent it has to work with. At the end of the day, it's like The Ryder Cup. The captain can't do much else than prepare you for what else is about to come, make sure you're in a good frame of mind and send you out there and you do your thing. If the players go on the football field and don't do their thing, lose confidence in their own ability for whatever reason, then they are not going to perform well. You can't do much about that but stand on the sidelines and make changes. Q. Is there any sense of disappointment that you're unable to defends the European title, or has being world No. 1 done that? LEE WESTWOOD: You know, I haven't even worked it out. Have I got a chance this week? Q. No. LEE WESTWOOD: Well, then I'm disappointed, yeah, obviously. But I think I can sit back and have a slight grin being world No. 1. I'm not going to lose sleep over it, but I would liked to have had a chance to defend the European crown this week. It would have made it more exciting for everybody I guess; the more people involved in the actual race. Q. And your comments about the two who can win it? Sum them up as players. LEE WESTWOOD: Well, I've been asked to nominate The European Tour Weekly Golfer of the Year and I was thinking about it going around, and it's very difficult to separate them. They both have won a Major. They both have won three events. Martin's leading the Money List, but Graeme probably had a little bit better Ryder Cup and holed the winning putt. So, you know, without going into it even more than that, I mean, how do you separate them? I guess it's all on this week (shrugging shoulders) which it is. Q. Has Graeme surprised you this year? LEE WESTWOOD: No, not at all. He's been a good player for a long time. No, not at all. Q. If you had to put your money on it, which one of the two would you reckon would be -- LEE WESTWOOD: Winning the Money List? I would rather have the money in the bank than be chasing. I think if you can probably look at the odds-makers, and Martin will be the big favourite. But Graeme has played well recently and he'll have a -- it's a big hitter's golf course, Graeme not being one of the longer hitters, but there's nothing to say that he can't win around here. So it will be interesting to see how it all pans out. Whoever wins, mentally they will have to be very strong and be able to block a lot of stuff out. Q. And will they be a genuine European No. 1, given that the world No. 1 is a European as well? LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, of course it is. They are two completely different things. You know, whoever wins the Money List deserves it and will have won fair and square. No doubt about that. Q. With your experience from last year, what would you reckon would be the deciding factor? Is it just down to mental strength, keeping your cool between Graeme and Martin now? LEE WESTWOOD: Well, I think Graeme has to finish top three, that's what his caddie was telling me. So he can really forget about the Money List and just try and play as well as possible and try and win the event. That's what I did last year. If you can box everything off and let everything else -- get down to the bear bones of it and let everything else be taken care of what you're actually trying to achieve in one week, then that's obviously a lot easier way to play, because you know you have that clearness of thought and just one goal in mind and not thinking about much too. Q. Is it difficult to block it out? LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, it's difficult to block it out because obviously the cherry is in the back of your mind all the time but they have both shown good mental strength this year. The most obvious times would be the two major championships. You can't separate them much, but on the basis of things over most of the year, I think Martin has just played slightly better, so he's got a slightly -- but a lot can happen in this one week. Q. Do you know how many tournaments you'll be allowed to play on the PGA Tour next year? LEE WESTWOOD: I can play three World Golf Championships, four Majors, THE PLAYERS and three invites. Q. 12? LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah. Will that add up to 12 or 11? 11. Q. Is that the maximum you're allowed to play? LEE WESTWOOD: I think they have changed the rules slightly and now put THE PLAYERS Championship in a bracket all of its own. Q. What do you make of the situation where the world No. 1 in the sport can't play where he likes? LEE WESTWOOD: Well, I'm not a member of the PGA Tour. So that's the choice I've made. The only situation I didn't want to get into was where I played the major championships, the World Golf Championships, and then chose to play Honda because it was between the two World Golf Championships; and Houston because it was the one before the Masters; and then have to pick between THE PLAYERS Championship and defending in Memphis. Now, I don't think anybody would have wanted that, the PGA Tour or the sponsors. So it was I guess a way of getting around it. Q. Have they done it for you then? LEE WESTWOOD: I think it's coincided with my problem with how many events to play and the change. I don't know whether they are doing it for me or if there are any more people in that category, whether Rory is in that bracket, Martin, I don't know. I would have thought they would want as many of the top World Ranked-players playing in their events as possible. Q. If you're allowed to play 12 or 13, would you play 12 or 13? LEE WESTWOOD: This year? Q. Next year. LEE WESTWOOD: Next year. Probably not, no. I'm probably on the limit of how many I want to play out there. Q. I'd like to know as a Dutch journalist, you know Joost Luiten; what do you think of him as a player and is he capable to get in the Top-50 of the world next year? LEE WESTWOOD: Well, I haven't played with him, but I've watched him on television and he looks impressive. He looks like he's got good technique, mentally strong. I think the thing that impressed me a lot about Joost was a couple of years ago I was playing in Adam Scott and Paul Casey in Abu Dhabi, and I looked into the crowd and Joost had been walking around and watching us play. I don't think he got into the event, I think he was there as a reserve and afterwards, he just said, "Well, I wanted to watch how the better players did it and see if I did anything differently." So he's obviously a step ahead; you don't see many people doing that. He's obviously willing to learn and trying to learn quick. Q. I was intrigued by your answer to that request to nominate European Tour Weekly Player of the Year. Would it be immodest of Lee Westwood to nominate himself for that award, as well? LEE WESTWOOD: No, I wouldn't have nominated myself. Ifs and buts, but if I had won the Masters this year, then it would have been a tough choice. Probably somebody else would have been better off doing it. But I'm quite happy with my year. It's been a bit stop/start with injuries and it's not gone completely smoothly. But I think before the injury, I was having a great year and on a good run. I tends to be the type of player that plays well when I get a run of tournaments, and I've played two stroke-play events since The Open Championship, so I'm a bit under-golfed, a bit rusty but still putting in performances. Professional sport is about winning and those two guys, along with Miguel, have been the most prolific winners of the year and I separate those two away from Miguel purely because they have won major championships. Q. But The European Tour Member who finally dethrones Tiger at the top of the rankings, is that not worth a shout? LEE WESTWOOD: No, I would never vote for myself. You know, I think it's a good achievement. I think it's a great achievement, no matter who was world No. 1, I think to get the to top of any sport, is pretty much the pinnacle, isn't it. You can't get any better than the best on the planet. But you know, that's over two years and The European Tour weekly thing is about who is the best player this year. Q. You talked about knowing how good Graeme was. Did you in all honesty know how mentally strong he was? LEE WESTWOOD: Well, I always figured he was pretty mentally strong. Whenever he's had a chance to win a tournament, even the week before the U.S. Open, in Wales, he obviously proved himself -- he proved to himself that he can play under pressure. He's won tournaments before that, but he shot 63 or something like that I think in the last round and never really looked like getting caught. He definitely got it. His technique is obviously not what people would say is orthodox but he knows it repeats often enough where he can be a world-class player and he's proved that, because he's Top-10 in the world. RODDY WILLIAMS: Lee, thanks very much and good luck this week. End of FastScripts |
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