Westwood satisfied with form

By Andrew Mullen, Press Association Sport, Dubai Last updated: 8th February 2010

European number one Lee Westwood shrugged off his winless start to the new season following Sunday's play-off defeat at the Dubai Desert Classic.

The 36-year-old world number four lost to Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez, missing two championship putts in the play-off after letting slip a two-shot advantage following a final-round level-par 72 at Emirates Golf Club.

Westwood missed the cut on his seasonal debut in Abu Dhabi following problems with a new set of irons and finished third in Qatar when difficulties with a new driver scuppered his final-round challenge before Sunday's valiant effort in Dubai.

But he has always regarded the three-event desert swing as his "pre-season" following his energy-sapping end to 2009 before heading to America for this month's WGC - Accenture Match Play Championship, which begins his lead-up to April's Masters at Augusta.

"The results, although I would liked to have won last week, don't really concern me too much," he said.

"I keep accumulating world ranking points. I've done a lot of fitness work over the last three weeks and I feel pretty strong.

"The game still feels a little bit rusty and I'm mentally not quite sharp enough, but I'm hitting the good shots."

After securing his place in the play-off with a birdie at the 72nd hole in regulation, Westwood looked in command over the first two holes of the play-off with Jimenez twice seemingly in trouble.

But after Westwood missed putts of 10 and 18 feet for a first title of the season which would have pushed him to third in the world, a missed six-foot par putt at the third play-off hole opened the door for Jimenez to record a first win since the 2008 BMW PGA Championship.

Jimenez narrowly missed the water at the first extra hole, then holed out from 12 feet to keep his bid alive on the second after hitting his tee shot into the rough and his approach into the back bunker.

But the Spaniard held his nerve from four feet in near darkness at the third time of asking after Westwood missed from inside six feet.

"The writing was on the wall. Miguel plugs in the front, 99 times out of a 100 that goes back in the water," said Westwood following his 13th top-10 finish in 16 events.

"And he's also one of the best bunker players on tour. He still plays one of his poor bunker shots, but holes out to stay in it. That's one of those things, play-offs can be like that."

Andrew Mullen, Press Association Sport, Dubai