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ALSTOM OPEN DE FRANCEJuly 4, 2012Lee WestwoodPARIS, FRANCE STEVE TODD: Welcome to the French Open and back at Le Golf National. LEE WESTWOOD: Thank you. STEVE TODD: You were second here a few years ago and you've got quite an impressive record here. Just wonder if you can share your thoughts about coming back. LEE WESTWOOD: Well, yeah play last year, but I've played well in the past. I'm looking forward to it. I had a chance to win in 2009, I think it was. Martin Kaymer won in a playoff over me. But yeah, I played well this year and I played well in the past. One of my best ever results when I came on Tour was here; I finished fourth in 1994 to Mark Roe. That was the first time I played this golf course. I've enjoyed playing it ever since. STEVE TODD: You've won on your last appearance on European soil in Sweden. Kept on in the U.S. Open after that and you come in with some form. LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I played well in season; I won by five there. I played well at the U.S. Open. Got a bit unlucky the last day. But other than, that I played solidly. I got off to a bad start at the U.S. Open, started double‑bogey, bogey, 3‑over after three, 4‑over after six was not the ideal start. So looking forward to this week and then The Open championship in a couple of week's time. STEVE TODD: Just talk a little bit about the course. You've obviously played here numerous times. It's always an enjoyable course to play at and a very challenging one. LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, it's a good test; difficult, a lot of thick rough which brings on my hayfever, (sniffling) as you can tell; which it's quite tight, and it's good, because you get penalised for hitting bad shots. Everybody talks about 15, 16, 17, 18; a tough test when the pressure is on. Q. The last time you came here, you went to the hospital, and you still have a cold or something. LEE WESTWOOD: That's all right. Yeah, last time I was here, I tore my plantaris muscle that runs down the back of my calf. I had to go to the hospital because they thought it might have been a deep vein thrombosis, I think it was. I don't know the translation into French. Yeah, I had to take some time off after that. I played The Open Championship a couple of weeks later, and then really didn't play another tournament until The Ryder Cup. But seems like a long time ago now. Q. Your personal record here, you've had good finishes. Would it mean something special to win this tournament? LEE WESTWOOD: It would mean something special because of the history of the tournament. It's a very old National Championship and it's a prestigious title to win. There's some great names have won it. So you know, it would mean a lot to get my name on that trophy. Q. In other sports, there's competition between the French and the British‑‑ LEE WESTWOOD: Is there? Q. Do you think there is something special being British to play in France? LEE WESTWOOD: No, not really. I don't look at it that way. I can see that and say, rugby, football‑‑ I think everybody has forgotten about that now. Golf, sport, better to not mix the two. Q. Coming here as a nation‑‑ LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, we play as individuals most of the year round. So there's really only The Ryder Cup that you pick a side and represent a team. Q. Did you play a practise round yesterday? LEE WESTWOOD: I haven't played on the golf course yet, no. I play this afternoon. I was hitting balls yesterday on the range. I've played more in the last couple of weeks that I've had off. I normally don't play at all when I'm not at a tournament but I played four or five rounds while I've been off. So in pretty good form really. Q. When you get back your usual caddie? LEE WESTWOOD: Depends on how his rehabilitation goes. Q. He's more ‑‑ LEE WESTWOOD: Very. That's if you're English. Q. What do you think about the quality of the field this year? LEE WESTWOOD: It looks a very strong field, good quality. I think everybody respects this golf course, and knows that it is a big title to win. And then some people choose to have the week before The Open off, so they will play here, so they are not rusty going into the Open. Other people choose to play The Scottish Open because it's a little links golf before. So you see the splits in the field. I like playing this week because I like the golf course and I feel like it suits me and next week I have off to get ready for The Open, basically. STEVE TODD: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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