THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 19, 2013

Lee Westwood

Q. Talk about today.
LEE WESTWOOD: It was a good round of golf. Played very well. It's not easy out there. And I think 68 is a good round.

Q. How much more enjoyable was it than your day yesterday?
LEE WESTWOOD: I enjoyed it yesterday. It was a test, a different kind of test yesterday. You come out in the morning and you expect that you have slightly bad scoring conditions, and they were, the greens were slightly softer. A pitch mark on 2 and a pitch mark on 3. They start to firm up pretty quickly. I was pleased to be 6-under through 12. I was playing some great stuff. And it was just getting harder as the holes progressed, tougher to score, tougher to get it close.

Q. You talk about really enjoying yourself.
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I love playing The Open Championship. This is the biggest tournament of the year for me, being a Brit, and it being played in Britain. And why not enjoy it out there? It's tough for everybody. So smile your way through.

Q. Can you talk about those first 12 holes. Were you in the zone? Was it just all working the first 12 holes?
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I felt pretty comfortable. I was hitting the ball well. Putting nicely. The golf course got really difficult. The finish is tough. 16, 17, 18 are playing hard. So it's like most Major championships, it's a grind out there.

Q. How about the difference between the morning?
LEE WESTWOOD: We had an advantage. I'll kick back this afternoon on the couch and watch some struggles and the cricket.

Q. Can you tell us what's made the difference.
LEE WESTWOOD: I always seem to putt the greens as well. But I got a couple of tips on getting tension out of my arms and having a bit more control. And I'm getting it on line nicely, and I've gauged the pace of the greens as well.

Q. When is the last time you felt this comfortable?
LEE WESTWOOD: I don't know. I go through spells where I'm feeling confident on the greens.

Q. It seems to go with the rest of your game. You have more swagger and a lot more confidence, it seems. Do you take that from putting well?
LEE WESTWOOD: I suppose you can do. I'm hitting the ball well. And controlling the flight most of the time pretty well, and getting up and down when I needed to. And got a nice up-and-down on 12 when I needed to. I've always enjoyed playing Muirfield and felt like it suited my game.

Q. (Inaudible.)
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, that and the momentum putts, you need to make those. I think both myself and Charl have played nicely and putted nicely today. You're going to have to roll a few in just to keep the momentum going, and we did that.

Q. Your overall view of where you're at, you don't know the final scores, but overall?
LEE WESTWOOD: I felt if I came out and shot level par, I thought 1-over would be right in contention. 3-under -- to be 2-under is a real bonus, it could be leading at the end of the day, you never know.

Q. Did you put any special clubs in?
LEE WESTWOOD: No, I'm carrying the same, other than I've swapped a 2-iron for the rescue, the utility club that I normally carry. 2-iron out there downwind is going 300 yards. It makes sense to carry that and play the course with it and try to keep it in position.

Q. Do you believe in karma at all?
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I suppose so. There's definitely a feel-good factor in Britain. Golf is such an individual game I'm just concentrating on what I've got going on at the moment.

Q. (Inaudible.)
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I think this probably takes more experience, yeah, The Open Championship, especially when it gets like this. There won't be many people who have played Open championships or links courses very often in these conditions. Certainly experience is a big factor.

Q. Is it as tough as you thought?
LEE WESTWOOD: It's harder, I would say, just because they let it get drier than I thought they would.

Q. (Inaudible.)
LEE WESTWOOD: It's a Major championship, they're out to win. They're supposed to be difficult. And one of the defenses is sticking the flags away, tucking away on slopes and things like that. Live with it or go on, I guess.

Q. (Inaudible.)
LEE WESTWOOD: Just a few tips, really. You know what I'm like with that sort of stuff. Sorry, there was a question, there.

Q. (Inaudible.)
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I go to most Majors with that mindset. There's not many Majors you turn up where it's a birdiefest. And you make a bogey and you feel like you're losing -- getting lapped by the field. It's just a case of not following a bogey with another three bogeys in Major championships, limiting the damage and picking up birdies whenever you can.

Q. What is the key to your putting so well this week?
LEE WESTWOOD: Just a few tips and feeling comfortable with it and being very clear in my mind what I'm doing.

Q. Are you aware of how many guys have won their first Major after 40?
LEE WESTWOOD: Yes.

Q. How many?
LEE WESTWOOD: I don't know, but I think it's probably Kite, O'Meara, Clarke, a couple more somewhere. I know, I read your article (laughter). I'm pretty happy-go-lucky and do my own thing. You liked that, did you? Happy-go-lucky.

Q. Sometimes you don't look so happy-go-lucky?
LEE WESTWOOD: Do I not? You watch them this afternoon, then you'll see miserable (laughter).

Q. (Inaudible.)
LEE WESTWOOD: No, Charl is done.