Lee Westwood on strong US Open start: ‘This course is gettable if you hit the fairways’

After overcoming his reluctance to travel overseas, Lee Westwood reaped the rewards on the opening day of the US Open at Winged Foot.
Seeking a first major title at the 83rd attempt, Westwood carded a three-under-par 67 to lie just two shots off the lead held by Justin Thomas.
The 47-year-old opted out of the WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational and US PGA Championship in early August, despite quarantine rules in the United States being relaxed for top sports stars.
But after taking advice from fellow players, the former world number decided to travel to New York for the second major of the year.
Impressively, he seemed to need little time to acclimatise, mastering the challenging Winged Foot layout in some style.
Asked if he was surprised that the golf course played relatively easily and if the players could expect a much tougher challenge ahead, Westwood said: “I don’t think they’ll have to toughen it up much.
“I think it’s gettable if you play well and hit the fairways, [but] it becomes a beast of a golf course if you start missing a few fairways and missing greens in the wrong places.
“I’m sure they can go a little bit harder with the flags as well, but US Open golf courses are never pushovers, and Winged Foot is never a pushover, but I’m sure it’s probably not going to get any easier.”
Westwood last played Winged Foot in the 1997 PGA Championship, and when asked to compare the golf course now with the way it was back then, he admitted it was tough to think that far back.
“It’s 23 years ago, to be honest I can’t really remember,” he said with a smile.
“I remember it being tough that week, obviously it was a little bit earlier in the year, it was in August, because that’s when the PGA Championship was.
“I remember playing with Tim Herron in the last round and I think he went bogey-free, and it was the only bogey-free round of the week, or one of only two, so it must have been playing tough.
“I remember it being thick rough, but I think at the start of the week I had a three-wood made for me with a little bit less loft, because back in the day you struggled to move it right to left, and I thought it was going to be easier with a three-wood.
“I didn’t carry a driver, so it couldn’t have been overly long in ’97, and it must have been running a little bit firm.
“Obviously, Davis won and everybody remembers him holing the putt with the rainbow on 18, but I don’t remember it raining during the week, so I think it was probably just playing hard and fast… and difficult.”
While Westwood is right in surmising that the course isn’t about to get any easier, if he continues to stay out of trouble and keep his ball in the fairway, he might just have a chance of breaking his major duck.
Latest
-
News
Golfers warned of further sanctions if they continue to play in LIV breakaway
The DP World Tour has issued fines of £100,000 and tournament bans to its members who played in the inaugural LIV Golf event earlier this month
-
European Tour
DP World Tour hits members who played inaugural LIV series with £100,000 fines
They have also been banned from several forthcoming tournaments including the Scottish Open.
-
News
Rory McIlroy not impressed as Brooks Koepka becomes latest big name to join LIV
The world number two labelled the players who have joined the new series as “duplicitous” for the way they have handled their breakaway.
-
The Open
R&A confirms LIV Golf Series players will be allowed to compete at Open
The 150th Open Championship will get underway at St Andrews in three weeks’ time.
-
US Open
Matt Fitzpatrick turns to other major winners for advice on dealing with fame
Fitzpatrick won the US Open on Sunday.
-
News
Brooks Koepka set to join Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series
Koepka’s brother Chase played in the opening event at Centurion Club earlier this month.
-
US Open
Gary Player urges Matt Fitzpatrick to avoid ‘poison’ of modern-day coaching
Player tells US Open champion Fitzpatrick to learn from mistakes of recent major winners, saying: “The teaching today is the worst it has ever been.”
-
US Open
Matt Fitzpatrick’s caddie Billy Foster ready for ‘long party’ after US Open win
Foster won his first major after a 40-year career which includes spells working for the likes of Seve Ballesteros, Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke.
-
US Open
Matt Fitzpatrick backed to become a dominant force after winning first major
The Englishman claimed his first major title at Brookline.
-
US Open
Matt Fitzpatrick: A Blade with plenty of support who can really cut it
The Sheffield golfer landed his first major – and first professional win in America – at Brookline on Sunday.