home jobs contact us
Our Clients:
Browse by Sport
Find us on ASAP sports on Facebook ASAP sports on Twitter
ASAP Sports RSS Subscribe to RSS
Click to go to
Asaptext.com
ASAPtext.com
ASAP Sports e-Brochure View our
e-Brochure

PORTUGAL MASTERS


October 18, 2009


Lee Westwood


VILAMOURA, PORTUGAL

MICHAEL GIBBONS: Many congratulations, Portugal Masters Champion 2009. You told us yesterday that second place wasn't good enough for you. Must feel pretty sweet.
LEE WESTWOOD: It feels great. It's obviously been over two years since the last win, and yeah, you do start to doubt yourself a little bit when you get into contention and don't finish it off.
So it's nice to get back on the winning trail. And looking forward to the rest of the season, now I'm leading the Order of Merit, but could change next week. All I can keep doing is -- which is winning.
I felt very comfortable. I started off hitting good shots, could have birdied 5.
I played patient golf, 7 was playing hard, hit a driver and a 3-wood. 9 was tucked away and didn't go for that. 10 was tucked away and didn't go for that. And I birdied the two par 5s on the back nine. Made a couple of nice up-and-downs at 15.
And then 17, just got stuck between 3-iron and 5-wood on the fairway there on a bit of an upslope and it was right on the limit of 3-iron, and 3-iron in the practise round is one thing, but you know when you're leading the tournament and you've got a shot, tried to cut a 5-wood in, and watched it and it came out dead straight. Obviously landed -- inaudible -- played a pretty good pitch.
Yeah, I can't think I've ever played a better chip and I don't ever want to play one again. Looking through the trees, I could see water, so no, it wasn't a very good lie, because the crowd had been walking around there as well on that green and obviously came out perfect.

Q. What yardage did Billy give for the chip on 17?
LEE WESTWOOD: He didn't give me any yardage, I think he had ran away at that point! No, it was just a chip. 30, 35 yards something like that to the back of the green.

Q. Is that chip today a better shot than out of the bunker at the 18th at Turnberry.
LEE WESTWOOD: If I had two putted the last green at The Open then went on to win in a playoff, I would have said that one, but I'd say that one on the 17th today.

Q. It's all about confidence winning....
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I've been playing well, hitting the ball well -- and working with the right people and confidence is a great thing but sometimes you need to play -- I think the character sometimes -- inaudible -- so it was something that I had to do. I looked at myself and I wasn't in particularly good shape, and my World Rankings five years ago -- inaudible -- big strong lad, healthy guy, so I decided that, you know, to do something about it.

Q. Does this send a message to the other players in the Race to Dubai.
LEE WESTWOOD: No, still a long ways to go. Playing for a fortune over the next few weeks, match play, HSBC, Hong Kong and then Dubai. My goal for the rest of the year is to keep on -- if I win the Match Play, with three events to go, just keep working hard and playing and obviously I'm very confident at the moment and I will try to win the rest of the events.
MICHAEL GIBBONS: Many congratulations. Well done.

End of FastScripts




About ASAP SportsFastScripts ArchiveRecent InterviewsCaptioningUpcoming EventsContact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297