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ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP

September 28, 2011

Lee Westwood

ST. ANDREWS, SCOTLAND

PAUL SYMES: I assume like everyone else that this is a week you always look forward to?
LEE WESTWOOD: Good week, three excellent golf courses, good playing partners, interesting people from different walks of life, and one I like forward to. Obviously a great tournament to win as well.
PAUL SYMES: How is your game coming into this week?
LEE WESTWOOD: Pretty good. Since The Open Championship, I had a bad couple of days on the greens. I finished 9th in the Bridgestone, 8th in the PGA, since lowest I've finished is 6th. So playing consistently and doing quite a lot of hard work on my short game. Been working with a new putting coach and I think I clicked on something, so I'm looking forward to playing this week.

Q. What have you been working on with Phil Kenyon?
LEE WESTWOOD: Working more on rhythm -- well, rhythm, full start. The putting to start with is pretty good but the rhythm, been working on that which is quite hard to do.
Quite a big change which may take a bit of getting used to on the course. But seeing a much better roll and truer roll on the ball and more putts going in.

Q. How has your putting stroke changed over the years?
LEE WESTWOOD: When I first came on Tour, it was along similar lines to that. You know, I felt like I achieved what I did, but - he bombarded me with quite a lot and I got confused quite quickly, and telling me how he did it.
But you know, he's quite analytical and scientific, but at the same point hasn't really me much to work with. Gave me a few drills to help with the rhythm.

Q. Have you seen instant improvement?
LEE WESTWOOD: I've had three or four sessions with Phil now and each time, I've seen improvements and felt like I'm getting used to it and it's improving.

Q. How does it work? When and where have you seen him?
LEE WESTWOOD: Holland, here, and he came to my house last week -- oh, and in Paris. I putted quite nicely there.

Q. What could've been possible if you'd putted well this year?
LEE WESTWOOD: Anything could be possible. I haven't really had what I consider a good putting round all year.
Tee-to-green I'm very consistent. I do a lot of gym work now which helps tee to green, something I have a lot more control over my swinging body more regularly. There's hardly a week where if I don't hit it very good, I'm still hitting 13, 14 greens in regulation. I guess the proximity -- it just comes down a bit. But when I'm hitting it well, I give myself a lot of birdie chances which can also be a bit misguiding. Being strong tee to green, I give myself a lot of chances, so it's going to look like you're missing more I guess.

Q. How frustrating has it been?
LEE WESTWOOD: It's frustrating when I giving myself so many chances and not really walking off with the scores I think I should've done. I couldn't -- weeks where I'm shooting a 68 or 64, that should have been a 62, that gets frustrating. Might be nice to see a few putts go in.

Q. Was after the US Open your lowest ebb? You seemed really peed off...
LEE WESTWOOD: I'm probably not allowed to use that word, am I?

Q. Was that your lowest point?
LEE WESTWOOD: No, I've been frustrated quite a lot this year. Just that's a big tournament, obviously a Major Championship, which I would like to win. You know, just another case that if I would have just putted half decent, I would have been in with a chance going into the last day. On the last day, I had a sniff, and that's actually putting crap. Not looking to hole everything, but I'd like to -- 28 putts in a round for one week for a change.

Q. Are you still working with Bob Rotella?
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I've had a couple of chats with Bob.
I think with the psychologist and me, I just need my mind -- every now and again. I don't think I need processes to go through and think about it. I think it's all there. Just need reminding, basically.

Q. Is Luke now out of sight in the Race to Dubai?
LEE WESTWOOD: I think him being here tells you he doesn't think he's out of sight without me telling you what I think. He's playing here this week and Madrid next week. He obviously thinks that the guys that have been around him are good enough to win the rest of the events that he's playing in. I feel like I can win here, China and Dubai, and that will surely give me enough money to go past him but he still has to play well.

Q. What are the goals for the rest of the season now?
LEE WESTWOOD: I set goals for the Majors start of the year and then after they have finished, you have to re-evaluate and look at something else to go for. You always have to have goals to try to achieve. So a lot of the tournaments for the rest of the year -- you know, this is a big tournament. I don't really play in small tournaments anymore.

Q. You enjoy this time of the year, don't you?
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I do. I feel quite relaxed. I can do quite a lot of work off the course, in the gym and stuff like that, because the weather is not that great just now, or normally great. So I like to dedicate this time of year and start of next season to getting fit and stronger and building up a little bit hopefully.

Q. Is European golf as strong now as ever?
LEE WESTWOOD: I think Europe's got the most strength, the European players, Luke and people like that they play in the States but as individuals, we have all played well around the world collectively.

Q. Did you watch the Solheim Cup?
LEE WESTWOOD: I did. It was my day off, so it was a sport-filled day. So rugby league and Solheim Cup -- and Formula One. Which is more of an engineering competition than a sport.
PAUL SYMES: Thanks Lee, play well this week.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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