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BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIPMay 25, 2013Lee WestwoodVIRGINIA WATER, ENGLAND SCOTT CROCKETT: Thanks, as always, Lee, for joining us. Let's start with the eagle at 4, that was a good way to kick the round off, wasn't it. What did you do there? LEE WESTWOOD: Driver, 5‑iron to about six feet, made that. SCOTT CROCKETT: Birdie at 7? LEE WESTWOOD: Three iron, wedge, to about 18 feet, made that. SCOTT CROCKETT: Birdie at 12? LEE WESTWOOD: Drive and a rescue left of the green. Chipped it to two feet. SCOTT CROCKETT:  Your birdie at 14? LEE WESTWOOD: 6‑iron to about four and a half feet I guess. SCOTT CROCKETT: And the only dropped shot, 16. LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, unlucky there, just ran into a divot and I wasn't sure it was going to come out and thought it might come out a little bit knuckly, and I didn't want to go out past that flag and came out soft. And landed in the face of the bunker; talking like two yards further, and it's ten feet. Made a good bunker shot and then miss‑read the putt. And then a driver and a 3‑wood short of the 17th green and chipped to about a foot. SCOTT CROCKETT: You said there's a lot of things that pleased you, particularly your irons. Give us a thought of your whole game today. LEE WESTWOOD: It's been good the first couple of days and today I felt much more in tune with the swing. I didn't feel like the club was getting as behind me as much, and I wasn't getting as trapped on the way down. I had a lot better distance control with my irons and direction control, as well. So, set up a lot of chances for myself. Missed a chance from about ten feet at 5 and missed from about 7 feet at 9. So I had a lot of chances out there. SCOTT CROCKETT: Obviously the weather helped but there was a good atmosphere throughout the round. LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, a lot more happy faces today in the crowd, a lot more people prepared to clap and take their hands out of their pockets, not trying to stay warm. One of the most fun days I've ever had on the golf course I think. The crowds have always been good when I played in England but felt like a lot of support today. They must have missed me now that I live in Florida (laughing). Q. Now that the move is all done and you're all settled over there, do you feel your all‑around game is better? LEE WESTWOOD: Well, my short game is miles better, that's for sure. That's obvious. Q. Is it directly related to being over there? LEE WESTWOOD: Directly related, yeah. I have much more opportunity to practise my short game, better conditions and on faster greens obviously. So I don't have to adapt so much to different conditions all the time. Q. The short game looked like it came in on those chips‑‑ when Ernie says stuff like that, does it give that you lift that it's all been justified? LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, it's a massive confidence boost. Even Johnny Miller last week said something about my short game. Q. Something good? LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I nearly fell over (laughs). When people like that say something nice and recognise that you put in some hard work and it's paid off, it's always a confidence booster. Q. You go all the way to the United States, then come back; like Manchester United, first win coming back here, how would that feel? LEE WESTWOOD: It's too early to say that. It's a very crowded leaderboard but it would be ironic, wouldn't it. Q. It would feel good though, I guess. LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, it would feel great. I'm after as many wins as I can get, no matter where they are. And this is a course I've enjoyed playing and it's suited me. Always feel like I played pretty well around here. So it wouldn't surprise me, but I'm still, you know, far from holding the trophy up. It is going to be a good day tomorrow. In a good position and should be exciting for everybody, and I will have to play as well or better than I played today. Q. You've been coming here 20 years now I think. LEE WESTWOOD: Somebody just said that, yeah. Q. A couple of Top 10s, not managed a win. LEE WESTWOOD: A couple of seconds. Q. How would you describe‑‑ LEE WESTWOOD: There's been a lot of Top 10s, a couple of seconds, and one obviously a very near miss. But carry on. Q. I did say two or three. But how would you describe your record overall? LEE WESTWOOD: Here? It's a pretty good record, I think. Won The World Match Play; lost a playoff in this tournament; finished second to Monty in 2000. Had a good few Top 10s, I don't know how many, but I've always played pretty well in it. It feels like it suits my game and in contention again this week. Q. With so many others that live around here, Justin Rose used to come here as a kid with sandwiches; did you have any experiences like that, or did you only good to know the course since you've been a pro? LEE WESTWOOD: I went to The Ryder Cup in '89 and '93. And when turned pro, the Madeira Island Open was the third professional event I had been to and I was playing in it. No, I had never had the luxury; nobody in my family played golf, so I had no real luxury of coming here, with his picnic basket and buying an ice cream (laughing). Q. How was the support today? LEE WESTWOOD: A lot of support. It was nice to shed a few layers and see people enjoying themselves, sitting out in the sun. Hopefully it's as nice if not nicer tomorrow. More of what a spring English summer should be; everybody comes out and supports their home players. Q. You've become used to the big events in America where you're used to crowds like this; did it feel like that? LEE WESTWOOD: The way they shout my name is slightly different than in the States. It's much more English. But the crowd have got a great sense of humour over here. I've always been very supportive but even more so today. Q. Your record this year is very, very consistent with so many Top 10s. When you went to America, did you think you could get that consistent that quickly? LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I think so. I played consistently last year, as I have done the last few years; that's one part of my game that's never lacking. But obviously sharpened up my short game. When I do play poorly‑‑ the consistency is going to improve, getting up‑and‑down more often is obviously a massive bonus. You're never quite sure, when you make so many changes, how quickly it's all going to come around and how much it's going to affect your game and other things. So it's nice to have played well through all. That and I've had quite a few Top 10s already. I just haven't finished enough tournaments off this year. I really feel like I didn't finish Houston off and L.A., the Masters, THE PLAYERS. Wells Fargo at Quail Hollow, I felt like I had a really good chance. I did the right things on the last day that I should have done, really. Q. You said you shed a couple of layers; were you keen to show off the tan, and do you feel like this place owes you one? LEE WESTWOOD: No, this place doesn't owe me one at all. Monty ran away with it in 2000. Luke, when he won, I didn't do the right things on the last three holes. I 3‑putted 16 and then should have really got it up‑and‑down on 17 and missed from five feet on the last, so that's my own fault. So it owes me nothing. SCOTT CROCKETT: The tan? LEE WESTWOOD: The tan, it's amazing how quick is vanishes, isn't it. I won't get my legs out, but they are brown. Q. You said they have got a great sense of humour around here; can you enlighten us with any gems that came out today? LEE WESTWOOD: No, not really (winking). But you know there's some sarcasm out there, and they are witty. It's good. Q. Would this be the biggest win of your career? LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I think it would probably be right up there. I said just on TV there, it's probably in the top three I would say. I think the win in Dubai was obviously a big win, because it was to win the Money List, as well. So you can't really not rate that one highly. I think sort of going down to Australia in'97 when I was sort of just on Tour and beating Greg Norman for the Australian Open in a playoff, I rate that one highly and I probably would put this in with those two. SCOTT CROCKETT: Lee, well done today, good luck tomorrow. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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