Why is Lee Westwood...

[birdieman]

mucking about in cold Sweden the week before a Major and not over in the US getting used to the heat, the timezone (10 hrs diff I think), the different greens etc as most of the European big guns are doing?

Not the correct preparation imo and with him knocking on 40 why not do everything right to try and finally bag a biggie?

 

[G1BB0]

why not? its still playing golf and very well at that

He did explain why the other day, its still a fair few miles across the US from this weeks comp to the US open so would still have to travel. he will get there Sunday night and be out practising Monday, I think 3 days is enough for any jetlag and to get used to a course at his level of ability.

 

[bozza]

Think he was asked this the other day and i'm sure he said he has tried playing in America the week before and it didn't work so why not try something new.

Still a good field and it looks like a good test, maybe slower greens and less rough but plenty of water which is more penal than rough if you go in it.

Also intresting to see he has changed his irons, wedges and putter the week before, seem to be working for him though!

 

[Dodger]

Do you think that for instance competing in the warmer place but finishing T33rd or as GMac is doing missing the cut is better preparation that a tour win in Sweden?

If so I wholeheartedly disagree with you.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Lets judge the preparation by his performance next week. My heart says please break your duck but my head says another near miss

 

[G1BB0]

some of his iron play has been sublime and off the tee he is like a robot this week. missed a few putts but all of them were for birdies. He has been hitting a few good chips aswell so overall his game is looking awesome imho.

(can you tell I am a Westy fan )

 

[Fezman]

i think the luxury of a private jet to the US and a tournament win (he certainly is well placed), an extra day off with the Weds start will all add up to Westy being in a good place to give it a rip @ the US open.

I hope he goes on and does it - he certainly deserves it IMO

 

[Imurg]

There's a few playing this week and then jetting off to the States.
Noren, Garcia, Hansen, Cabrera-Bello....as well as Lee.
Does seem a little strange given the probable Jet-Lag but if ti works........

 

[USER1999]

I don't get the jet lag thing. Given the only time tour pros have to be awake is the five hours they are on the course, who knows what time zone they are on? They can pretty much invent their own time zone. No 36 hour days like I get when I go to china. No sympathy. Can't see it makes a difference.

 

[bozza]

I hope i am wrong but i think him being in the same group as Rory and Luke may affect him.

Westwood seems to play better when the pressure is off and he can relax a bit, but the attention is going to be on this group for the first 2 rounds.

 

[DaveM]

You don't really get much in the way of jet lag, flying west. Its when you fly east you know about it.

 

[JustOne]

Westy was hoping to pick up some easy world ranking points in a comp that Rory was missing

(unfortunately Rory took his swing with him to the US this week)

 

[triple_bogey]

some of his iron play has been sublime and off the tee he is like a robot this week. missed a few putts but all of them were for birdies. He has been hitting a few good chips aswell so overall his game is looking awesome imho.

(can you tell I am a Westy fan )

All down to the new i20's

 

[Hendo007]

Thought by the title of this thread it was a fill in the blank "why is Lee Westwood ..............." was all set to come in here and finish it off with ..... a tosser ;-)

joking aside i don't think there will be any jet lag, he doesn't fly like us mere mortals, he'll have total luxury with probably a good bed to have a right good sleep should it be required. The only thing that will let him down next weekend is his putting.

 

[full_throttle]

could it be the appearance money?

 

[dog377]

Hope he manages to carry current form to US but it's a totally different pressure playing in a
Major with all the Americans there. He should have done what G Mac did and face them down
this week and if he'd taken the form he's showing in Sweden he'd be fine.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

some of his iron play has been sublime and off the tee he is like a robot this week. missed a few putts but all of them were for birdies. He has been hitting a few good chips aswell so overall his game is looking awesome imho.

(can you tell I am a Westy fan )

This is how Westwood always plays. Unfortunately, the key phrase is "missed a few putts". It doesn't matter that they are for birdie, it matters that he is missing them and until he sorts that out, he won't win a major.

 

[CMAC]

New nome putter seems to be working very well for him, another mallet convert. I wish him well for next week, win or lose he needs to get that putting monkey off his back and the Nome might just be the conduit.

 

[pbrown7582]

Westy was hoping to pick up some easy world ranking points in a comp that Rory was missing

(unfortunately Rory took his swing with him to the US this week)

I suspect it's to do with management company sponsors trading off it was announced last year if I remember correctly Rory had signed a 3 year deal to play this tournament when he was with ISM now no longer there maybe Westy stepped in? Not doing him much harm though and the course looks a stunner.

 

[DCB]

maybe he realises he won't be a contender next week. After all it is a Major