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OMEGA DUBAI DESERT CLASSICJanuary 24, 2019Lee WestwoodDubai, United Arab Emirates Q. We're going to forget the 5-under par at the moment. Yesterday you said I'm a very dangerous man at the moment because I don't care anymore. Can you explain what that means and why? LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm still trying my hardest, but I don't care where the ball goes, I don't care what I shoot. The consequences of the way I play don't bother me anymore. I'm purely about what I'm working on and going out there and trying to do that over every shot. Q. What instigated that? LEE WESTWOOD: Working with a new psychologist and just gradually getting into that you can't control where the ball goes, only what you're doing with your swing. Q. I'm going to go with based on that, the fact you've had three runners-up here and are not that bothered, the fact that you haven't got across the line at a venue you've played very well at before? LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I thought it was a little unlucky when Miguel Angel won, but having said that, I had my chances. I should have taken them and I didn't take them, so that's my fault. David Howell played better than me in '99. That was kind of the best of the best; I think he won by a few in the end. But that was the last time I finished second. Q. So you can't be throwing stuff out like that. LEE WESTWOOD: Well, you're the one with all the facts. I honestly don't know. Was it to Stephen Gallacher? Q. In '13. LEE WESTWOOD: Right. Going through all the past winners. I've played here a lot of the years. It's a golf course that seems to suit my game. It's a big advantage if you hit the fairways, which I didn't over the closing few holes today, so it felt a bit fortunate to birdie the last two. Q. It seems like watching from the outside and having known you and watched you for so long, you've never looked happier and like you're enjoying your golf more than you are at the moment. Is there some truth to that, and is that the sort of thing that allows people like yourself to have the sort of longevity that you have? LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I mean, when you break it all down and look at the facts, where we're playing, what we're playing for, golf courses we're playing on, weather we're playing in, there's no reason really not to be happy. Obviously I've got Helen, my girlfriend, on the golf bag, and she makes a big difference to my attitude out there. She doesn't know that much about golf. She knows a fair few little bits, but she knows a lot about me and what to say and to keep it lighthearted and things like that, and it's really entertaining out there. Q. Last week a great opening start to your season. It looks like it may continue. How did you feel out there today? LEE WESTWOOD: I played okay, not brilliant. I didn't feel like I hit the ball fantastic, but I certainly gave myself a lot of chances. I managed my game well. I hit more fairways today than I have done for some time, until the last few holes, and luckily birdied the last two holes out of the rough, which doesn't happen very often around here. I'll go on the range and keep working on what I'm working on, and I feel like it's gradually coming. My distance control is pretty good, and yeah, I'm pleased with the way I've been hitting it. I'm rolling the ball well on the green, which makes a difference. Q. There's a few memories from some of the players coming out that with the wet grass and it's a bit cooler, the ball wasn't flying quite as far as they anticipated. Did you have any differences? LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, you know, you have to laugh at that. It wasn't going quite as far as it normally does in the desert this morning, but anywhere you play, the air tends to be heavier in the morning and obviously a little bit cooler and the ball doesn't go as far. You just have to adapt to that and use your brain basically. Q. For all of us that have been watching you over the years, we've always seen you as somebody who takes things in stride, but ever since especially Denmark, everything seems to be like a new calmness about you and you've got nothing to lose, and obviously the results have been proving that. LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I'm just enjoying golf at this stage in my life. I'm 45 years of age, going to be 46 in apps, and why not enjoy it. I'm still competitive, I still hit the ball well. I'm putting better than I ever have, and I still feel competitive, like I said. Just enjoy it, see where it goes. Q. We see one big change and that's been Helen. Has the caddie relationship evolved at all, or has she tried to up the negotiating on her stake? LEE WESTWOOD: No, she's doing a great job. She's turned up every time so far, which is not surprising really, seeing as I nudge her to get out of bed every morning. But yeah, she carries that bag around the golf course. I don't think I could carry it around, but I think she's enjoying it. She has a good time chatting to all the other caddies we play with and the players, and it's fun out there. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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