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SHELL HOUSTON OPEN

March 29, 2011

Lee Westwood

HUMBLE, TEXAS

DOUG MILNE: Okay. We'll go ahead and get started. Lee Westwood, thanks for joining us for a few minutes prior to the start of the 2011 Shell Houston Open. Making your, I believe, fifth start here. You had a Top-10 last year, T-8, and fourth start on the PGA Tour this season. Just some thoughts on kind of assess the state of your game as you're heading into the week.
LEE WESTWOOD: I feel like I'm playing well, my name is in good shape, all of it seems pretty sharp and I'm looking forward to this week and next week and this is generally the time of year I start to play fairly well and get in top form. It's a good time of year to start playing well.
DOUG MILNE: Obviously they really try and set this track up to help for Augusta. Have you seen much of the course yet, have you been out?
LEE WESTWOOD: I haven't been out yet. Obviously it's always going to be difficult to replicate Augusta because it's a very unique golf course. You're not going to replicate some of the lies in the fairways because it's very undulating, some of the shots around the greens.
But they do get it to a certain extent. The main point is they try to get the greens as quick as possible which when you get to Augusta next week it's not as big a shock, the greens there and see the speed of them because you've been prepared for it this week because they're pretty immaculate this week and run a great pace.
DOUG MILNE: Open it up for a few questions.

Q. How much do you feel it did help you last year playing here and going there?
LEE WESTWOOD: It helped a lot. I like to be competitive going into the week of a Major. So, you know, that's the reason why I play the Shell Houston Open. You look at the all the Major Championships, I'm playing the week before. Like if I come into it, have another couple of weeks, I could be rusty for even nine holes and that's too much in a Major Championship.

Q. I know this sort of stuff is old hat for you. We don't see you very often, obviously, whether you're 1 or 2 in the world, that kind thing, how much do you guys, you golfers look at that, how big a deal is that, the world golf rankings, that sort of stuff?
LEE WESTWOOD: You look at it when you're No. 1 (laughter). I really doesn't have that much relevance. It's great to go out there. It's something you see and you're very proud of it at the time but I think everybody's attention in that part of the world rankings right now would be towards next week and getting ready for that and being in the best shape possible come Thursday.

Q. How about the reception to you if you're No. 1 compared to something else? Did you notice a shift around you when that ranking happened over those four months?
LEE WESTWOOD: A little bit. Everybody mentions it. I think you get to the stage where people want your opinion a lot more on various things, not just golf (laughter), not that I'm qualified on much more than golf. It's very time-consuming.

Q. How special is it to you that -- you're not 1 now but you're 2. How special is that, all that stuff to you now?
LEE WESTWOOD: It's just a reflection of the hard work put in and the consistency shown on the golf course. You try not to think about it too much.
Now since going down to No. 2 all -- it's less attention. Draws a lot of attention to you being No. 1. You can almost feel like you can just concentrate on getting on with things that you move away from the 1 spot.

Q. Did you like or dislike the attention that went with it or no big deal?
LEE WESTWOOD: It's nice to be No. 1, you know, people coming up to you and saying the best in the world but, at the same time, I've not been really one for standing around talking about things for too long. I'd rather not -- I'd rather do without all that high publicity type.

Q. What was the strangest thing that you got asked for your opinion on?
LEE WESTWOOD: I can't remember. There's been so many bizarre questions. Probably the game is the strangest thing. You've been asked that. I'm only joking.

Q. What do you look for then from the week before a Major?
LEE WESTWOOD: A win would be good. Seriously. Try to win the Shell Houston Open and that would be great and then take a lot of confidence going into next week, to play well, hit a lot of good shots. Take the form that -- the way I've been hitting the ball on the range, even the way I've been striking, possibly the short game I've been working on the last two weeks. I've seen a big improvement since the three weeks I was there last. I've taken it to the golf course and played solidly.

Q. What do you think of the field here? Have you taken a look at it?
LEE WESTWOOD: I haven't taken too much of a look at it. It looks pretty strong. Few names mentioned. Listen, every week it's a strong field now. You know, you have to play well no matter who is playing. You see the variance of winners this year. Not the ones you would, I suppose, normally, the predictable ones. You got a lot of first time winners and new winners and it just shows the strength of golf at the moment.

Q. Lee, last five Majors obviously lot of flirtation going on with the top. It would seem to me that in those kind of situations in those Majors just incremental things make the difference between winning, and how close are you in that regard and is that an accurate assessment of it?
LEE WESTWOOD: Couple of them been a quarter of a shot a around over the week. It's not a big deal, really. Sometimes things don't go your way. You can play pretty well and somebody plays a little bit better, particularly great breaks in Major Championships. Even though the top three. I didn't play the PGA last year. I've really forgotten. Quite aware that the last two Majors or two of the last three Majors I played I finished 2nd and 3rd in the PGA and one shot off the playoff in The Open.
You know, if you keep getting close then, you know, the law of averages, sooner or later the door is going to open.

Q. You put different clubs in your bag for this week and next week or the same old tools?
LEE WESTWOOD: I've been toying around with a new putter which I'll use this week. I haven't been particularly happy over the first couple of months of the season with the old one. This one is a bit easier to line up, struggling with alignment. That may be a change. I don't know yet. I'll probably stick with that.
I generally keep the same stuff in, decide last minute whether it's 2-iron or 5. Augusta is generally 5 because you need to fly the ball in high.
I've been doing a little bit of work with different bounces on sand irons. It's nice to take a bit of the bounce off the lob wedge at Augusta with the lies you get there and the firmness of the sand in the traps. It's nice to get under the ball a little bit.
DOUG MILNE: Okay. Any other questions? All right. Lee, we appreciate your time as always.
LEE WESTWOOD: Thank you.

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