THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 21, 2013

Lee Westwood

LEE WESTWOOD: I wanted to end on the 18th green right now, that's pretty obvious. No, I didn't really play well enough today. I didn't play badly, but I didn't play great. It's a tough golf course, and you've got to have your "A" game. I missed a few shots out there. I hit the wrong club at 7 I thought, in hindsight. I tried to hit a 9-iron; it was never going to get there. Plugged in the front trap. And plugged it in the trap at 8 going for a flier. And a poor tee shot off 9 and hit my second shot on 9. Got lucky with a lie on the second shot down the right and that plugged in the trap, as well. So it was three plugged lies on three holes. And you'd like to go par, par, bogey; I went bogey, bogey par. Going from 3-under back to 1-under. Just halted my momentum a bit. Phil obviously played well. He shot the round of the day, 5-under par, I think. And birdied four out of six. That's a pretty special finishing in a Major championship.

Q. (Inaudible.)
LEE WESTWOOD: No, not really. I was concentrating on my own game, trying to make as many birdies as possible and as few bogeys.

Q. Were you distracted --
LEE WESTWOOD: No, I was getting good support myself. No, I had no idea what was going on until the end. The 15th green I looked at the leaderboard, but that was about it.

Q. Does it take a little off because Phil shoots a 32 on the back nine, and you would have really had to do something special?
LEE WESTWOOD: I said in the press center last night, sometimes you play well and somebody plays a bit better, and sometimes you plays poorly. I didn't really do either today and Phil obviously played well. But you've got to play well to give yourself your own momentum, and I just couldn't get there today.

Q. (Inaudible.)
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I felt pretty comfortable out there. I felt good on the greens. I rolled a lot of putts. I was unlucky a couple of times on the greens, run it close. But some days it just doesn't happen.

Q. Has it been a -- (inaudible.)
LEE WESTWOOD: Possibly, but you make your own look. I hit a poor tee shot at 3 that cost me a bogey. I had a poor tee shot at 7. Hit it in the rough at 8. Put it in the rough at 9. I hit a poor tee shot 13 and a poor tee shot 16. So there really wasn't any luck involved. I just didn't hit good shots when it mattered.

Q. Can you go over the tee shot at 7.
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I was sort of stuck between clubs and came up with a 9-iron. It was the wrong club, really I should have known. The wind felt like it just dropped a little bit. 200 yards is a long way for a niner.

Q. Are there any positives that you can take away from this week?
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I putted lovely this week. I made my fair share. So there was a lot of positives to take out. I didn't really feel like I had my "A" game. I didn't feel like I was striking the ball well. I was amazed to be in the lead going into the fourth round, because every time I turned into the wind I was really struggling.

Q. (Inaudible.)
LEE WESTWOOD: I'm not too disappointed. I don't really get disappointed with golf anymore.

Q. What's your assessment of the week?
LEE WESTWOOD: Great. I finished top three in a Major championship. I would like to have won, but you can't not take positives from top three in a Major.

Q. Describe the fun, though, as being in contention on Sunday?
LEE WESTWOOD: You always want to be last off on Sunday in a Major championship. And for me to be last off in The Open Championship, I think was a probably new experience, I don't think that's happened before on a Sunday. And I really enjoyed it. It's obviously where any professional golfer wants to be.

Q. Is there anything you would have done different today?
LEE WESTWOOD: I might play better, yeah. (Laughter). No, I wouldn't have done anything different for breakfast or carried three markers in the pocket instead of two. I never second-guess myself. So there's no point in doing it, you just do what feels right at the time.

Q. (Inaudible.)
LEE WESTWOOD: I'm a philosophical person. It just doesn't wind me up or get to me anymore.

Q. What's next leading up to the PGA?
LEE WESTWOOD: I'm playing at Akron, at the World Golf Championship at Bridgestone, which is a golf course I enjoy.

Q. (Inaudible.)
LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I keep putting myself in contention. I didn't do a lot wrong today. I just didn't do enough right. I know what I've got to work on.

Q. Is it easier to come from five down (inaudible)?
LEE WESTWOOD: No, I don't think so. I was happy in the position I was in, a couple of shots lead.

Q. Was there pressure that you felt with the crowd or yourself?
LEE WESTWOOD: Not at all. It's a Major championship. It obviously means a lot and you go out there and try your best, but there was no pressure.