Lee Westwood once again felt centre stage this week at the LIV Golf Singapore, posting a very solid week that confirmed his good form after a difficult start to the season marked by injuries and logistical setbacks. The veteran Englishman finished the tournament with a great performance in the final round, carding a 69, two under par, to close Sunday in solo third, two shots behind the champion, showing he still has plenty to say on the Saudi circuit.
Westwood said after the tournament that the result carries a special meaning given everything he has had to face in recent months. “I’m very proud. I’ve had to deal with a few things. The wrist injury was not ideal to start the season between Saudi Arabia and Australia,” he explained.
To those physical problems were added travel difficulties that limited his preparation. “Then I got stuck in Dubai and arrived late to Hong Kong, so I also had to deal with the time difference and very little practice,” he added.
Even so, the Englishman says that the feel of his game was positive even when he had hardly been able to compete. “I felt I was striking the ball well, but I had played very little before Hong Kong. I played well last week and now I’ve confirmed it with a great week here,” he said.
The final day in Singapore also had a special flavour for Westwood, who found himself again in a competitive setting he hadn’t experienced for some time. “It’s been fantastic. It had been a while since I was in the final group when something important was really at stake,” he confessed.
The Englishman shared a featured group with two of the biggest hitters on the circuit, Bryson DeChambeau and Joaquín Niemann, a circumstance that influenced his on-course strategy. “I tried to focus on my own game. I’m there with Bryson and Joaco, two of the longest hitters in the world, so many times I’m the first to play,” he explained.
Far from trying to compete in distance, Westwood opted for a more traditional and precise strategy. “I just tried to win my own tournament. I tried to hit as many fairways as possible and leave myself shots as close to the pin as possible to have opportunities,” he recounted.
At 51, Westwood shows he can still compete with the big names in world golf. And after such a complete week in Singapore, the Englishman leaves with the feeling that his season on LIV Golf has just found the momentum he was looking for.
