ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL

March 6, 2021

Lee Westwood

Bay Hill Club and Lodge

Quick Quotes

Q. Overall thoughts on the round, did you think there were going to be that many birdies out there today?

LEE WESTWOOD: Didn't really go out there with any sort of expectations and preconceived ideas about the golf course. I looked at the app before I went out and I saw a few people were 5-under par, so -- Tyrrell was 5-under -- so I assumed that it wasn't too windy starting off, but the wind obviously picked up as the day went on, which made it a little bit trickier.

But I feel like if you hit the fairways on this golf course it gives you some birdie opportunities. And it's a golf course that I've always felt comfortable on. I'm seeing the lines well on the greens and rolling the ball well. So yeah, I feel like there are birdie opportunities out there if you hit good shots.

Q. What's your anticipation level for tomorrow based on the way you're playing?

LEE WESTWOOD: Well, I'm looking forward to it. Just saying that I'm 48 and in a month's time, so it's nice to still be playing in these tournaments. You got to be top 50 in the world and if you would have said to me 20 years ago, will you still be top 50 in the world at 48, I might have been slightly skeptical. And it just shows that I'm still capable of playing well in these tournaments with all the good young players around me and obviously contending, because that's what I'm doing this week.

So I've been hitting the ball well, this course suits me a little bit more than last week did. Didn't really have much of a clue how to play last week's golf course. But this week, I've been coming here a long time, I was saying that I came here in 1998 and I played the first few rounds with Gary Koch, so that shows how old I am. I always tell him, whenever I see him, I saw him on the range beforehand and he's just seeing if I'm still playing well, I guess he is.

So, yeah, and the first time I came and played it in the late '90s I enjoyed it and fell in love with it, I played well that week, I was in the second to last group on Sunday. So, yeah, it's a place I like. Obviously with the King's name attached to it, it's a very special trophy to lift, tournament to win.

Q. Are you surprised at all at how competitive you are at this age and what do you think you do better now than you did when you were 28?

LEE WESTWOOD: I'm not surprised no, because I haven't lost any of my length and I haven't lost any of my enthusiasm to go and work and work in the gym. My nerves are still intact, I still get into contention and enjoy it rather than kind of back off. What was the second part of the question?

Q. What do you do better now than when you were younger?

LEE WESTWOOD: I don't treat it as seriously. I probably have the attitude of a 20-year-old Lee Westwood. Through the 30s I started to treat it a bit too seriously and worry about what people thought or look at trouble on the golf course.

Now I just sort of stand up and hit it and if it goes well it goes well and generally it does.

Q. You talk about playing this tournament for so many years, then you had a pretty big patch where you didn't get starts here. Coming back, I mean, what did you miss about it?

LEE WESTWOOD: Just the whole atmosphere. There's a lot of foreigners living in Orlando I think. It's almost, if you're an Englishman I think there must be a lot of Brits here, it's like playing a home game. A lot of support here.

But love the golf course, used to love it when Arnie was here, I miss him a lot, as we all do. It was great when he used to stand behind the 18th green as you finished and you got a handshake and grin off him and a few wise words.

Especially my first year when I finished in a bit of an ambulance and he had a few choice words to say when we shared a vodka and tonic with Ernie Els, the winner, in the locker room afterwards. He was surprised at how I was laughing and smiling coming off the last green, having finished with a couple of double bogeys in the last three holes.

So some great stories from him and just a really friendly tournament and obviously a very prestigious title to win.

Q. Speaking of stories, it's been I guess a little more than two decades since your last PGA TOUR win in Memphis. What do you remember about that week?

LEE WESTWOOD: I don't remember a lot, to be honest. There's a lot gone on since then. I don't remember a lot -- I remember certain things. Obviously I won in the playoff and Robert Garrigus made a mess of the last hole to give me and Robert Karlsson a chance. But I played a lot of tournaments since then and had a lot of wins since then, so -- I won only beginning of last year, so it's not like I haven't won for awhile. That was a big tournament in Abu Dhabi and I played well at the end of last year when I needed to to win the Race to Dubai. Finished second at the course over there. So, yeah, I know I'm still capable of playing well when it matters.

Q. When is the last time you made -- you a couple bombs today, when is the last time you putted that well?

LEE WESTWOOD: Last week I made 130 feet over four rounds, I think.

Q. What's been the key?

LEE WESTWOOD: I don't look at the stats often enough to know. The stats say something like that. I know I putted well today. There were two 3-putts in there and a short miss on 2 where I misread the grain.

So, yeah, yeah, I know on these greens I see a good line and I'm rolling the ball well. I've got good speed to my putter head.

Q. When you consider winning another Order of Merit at age 47 and being, I don't know what you are, 35, 30 in the world, deeply entrenched in the top 50, does it make you rethink how much longer you can stay out with the flat bellies?

LEE WESTWOOD: Everybody keeps asking me when I'm going to the Seniors TOUR so I think they're trying to get rid of me.

Q. I didn't ask that yet.

LEE WESTWOOD: No, the other players (laughing.) So, no, I mean why put a number on it? I said to out there, I said, as long as I'm able to compete out here and not embarrassing myself and I'm long enough to compete -- because there will come a time where I don't hit it far enough and the golf courses, I can't see them being making them any shorter, they're just going to get longer, especially if people are driving par-5s.

As long as I'm, I think as long as I'm mentally and physically able to do the hard work away from the golf course, then I'll carry on and come out here and play. And if I'm not taking up a spot, why not? I enjoy playing against the younger lads. Why not? I want to cling on to that as long as I can, really.

Q. Did they ask you if were you playing the Chubb Classic on the Champions Tour or no?

LEE WESTWOOD: They said, How long have you got until you join the Champions Tour? And I said, Oh, it's another couple of years yet, you're stuck with me.

Q. You've won around the world. Does it bother you when people bring up your U.S. wins or does it not really matter?

LEE WESTWOOD: No, people don't bring it up very often. Only you.