Westy rues ‘rubbish’ shot

“It was rubbish,” Lee Westwood said when reflecting on the shot that cost him The Players – and let one more title get away.

“It was rubbish,” Lee Westwood said when reflecting on the shot that cost him The Players – and let one more title get away from him.
Not the wedge into the water on the short 17th, but a five-iron second to the par five 16th that came up short in a bunker.
Instead of making birdie or even eagle there, Westwood only parred to stay two behind South African Tim Clark and with a double bogey on the next the long-time leader dropped back into a share of fourth at golf’s richest event.
“It was just a rubbish shot – a complete sclaff,” said the world number four, who was second at The Masters last month and third in the last two majors of last season.
He has now gone over 12 years since his only victory in America, but because it was not a major he added: “It’s disappointing, but not something I’m going to pull my hair out over.
“If you don’t play well you don’t deserve to win. As the course firmed up I didn’t have the control of the day you needed and when you get out of position here it becomes very difficult.”
Clark, shooting a best-of-the-day 67, won by one from Australian Robert Allenby for his first US Tour success in 206 starts. The former Scottish Open champion had had eight second places since his debut on the circuit in 1998.
Westwood would have gone to world number three for the first time with a top three finish, but for that will have to try again in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth starting on Thursday week.