LIV GOLF UNITED KINGDOM

July 25, 2025

Lee Westwood

JCB Golf and Country Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Let's welcome Lee Westwood, co-captain of Majesticks GC. 5-under par round of 66, currently tied fourth after the opening round here at LIV Golf UK by JCB. Just take us through your round today.

LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I played nicely. I've been playing well recently, so I just continued with that really, drove the ball well, hit a lot of good iron shots, made putts, birdie putts. Made a good few birdie putts. Struck the ball nice. Made a good few par putts, especially towards the end of the round to keep the momentum going.

Yeah, I'm pleased with the start at 5-under.

Q. Good round today for Majesticks, currently in fifth position. You were out there playing with Ian and Sam as well. What was the fan reception out there like for you guys?

LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, it was great. They cheered us all the way around. Myself and Ian have been playing in front of these crowds for a long time now. Sam a little less time. But still lives in this area, so good home support. It was a nice atmosphere to play in out there.

Q. A lit of a contrast to Portrush last week where you're standing on the 16th and Black Sabbath playing. Are you a Black Sabbath man?

LEE WESTWOOD: Seemed appropriate, right?

Q. Just the differences, obviously, great tradition, new thing. Are you comfortable with that? How does it work --

LEE WESTWOOD: Am I comfortable with it? Yeah, I don't mind change and adapting. It's people in general that don't like change and adapting. People are used to the traditions and staying in their ways, their comfort.

But all sports have to adapt and change. I think golf is doing a great job of it through LIV, yeah.

Q. Just the way you played today, was that a continuation of Portrush? Did you get a bit of a boost from how you went there?

LEE WESTWOOD: It's a continuation of going right back to Washington really when I shot 62 in the final round. I had been playing well leading up to there, and it just -- golf is the type of game where you feel like you've finally got it and it doesn't give you the score that you think you should do, right? It never quite lets you. But then that final round there, I shot 9-under, I think, and that was kind of the trigger to give me some confidence that the good stuff I was working on on the range and on the putting green and on the short game area was paying off score-wise now, and then the last few weeks I've played a lot better without really seeing dramatic results.

But I've felt good play and hopefully good scores coming.

Q. You hit an incredible shot on 13, didn't make the eagle putt, but --

LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, don't know how.

Q. Where does that rank among your best shots this year?

LEE WESTWOOD: I've hit a lot of good shots this year, to be fair, but that 3-wood into there was kind of perfect, 263 to the front, 269 to the pin. I carry it about 260 with the 3-wood, so nice -- it was straight off the left, so I started it on the left-hand trap and just let it drift in and landed lovely about a yard short and hopped up to there and finished about eight or nine feet away.

Sam and Terry both says, "great putt," as it was about a foot short, and then it just dived and missed. They owe me a drink for talking that one out.

They're the kind of shots that with the positions I've been getting in my golf swing, they're the kind of shots that I feel like I can hit now. I've been driving the ball well, driving it longer, so yeah, it's all moving in the right direction.

Q. I know we've got a lot of golf left, but what would it mean for you or one of your teammates to raise a trophy here in England on Sunday night?

LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, it would mean an awful lot. Obviously Henrik is not English, but he's an honorary Englishman, I suppose, or Brit, through winning the Open Championship.

But yeah, it feels like our home event, and it's always nice to perform in front of home fans.

We're not getting carried away too much too early, but this is certainly the best start we've had in a tournament for quite some time. I think we all feel fairly comfortable, and we all feel like we know this golf course fairly well. Hopefully we continue to perform and build on the good start today.

Q. You've accomplished so much in your career. Have you had a chance to take a step back and reflect on where that 29 fits in what you've been able to accomplish last week at The Open?

LEE WESTWOOD: I haven't really thought about it too much. You know, it was nice to -- not so much the 29, but it was nice to bounce back and not kind of capitulate and carry on with the 4-over that I was stood there on the 7th tee or whatever it was.

I've never given in in my career. I've had slumps and I've bounced back. I've been at No. 4 in the world and then nearly 300 and then bounced back to No. 1. So that tells you that Lee Westwood doesn't toss it in on a golf course or in his career. I was brought up to keep trying hard and grinding it out.