Westwood looks to tame 'Beast' of Bethpage
If you want to know what sheer bloody-mindedness looks like, watch a re-run of the .
He defied doctors'orders to play in the first place. He limped and winced in pain from the serious knee injury he was carrying. And he holed out from all over the place.
Tiger Woods demonstrated unwavering belief, iron-willed determination and a profound desire to come out on top.
In his mind, he was always going to win the US Open. No matter what. And the tale of Tiger's 14th major title will be retold long after we've forgotten that 7,426 yards - the stats for this week's US Open venue - is long for a golf course.
But 12 months on, one Englishman will have his own memories of .
was playing in the final pair with Woods and came a missed birdie putt away from joining him and in an 18-hole play-off.
But golf, like life, is all ifs and buts. The last European to win the is still in 1970.
Westwood, though, tees it up on the 'Beast' of this week clad in another layer of experience to act as insulation against the heat should he find himself in the thick of it on the final afternoon.
"I learnt that I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would," he told me when we met up at the European Open at the a few weeks ago.
"And I learnt that I was good enough to win a major. You're never quite sure until you get into that position that you're going to be comfortable but I did feel pretty comfortable all day.
"There wasn't a point where I thought, 'I'm out of my depth here'. It's never going to get worse than playing with Tiger in the last group of the US Open in California. I've played with him many times but the US Open is a different kettle of fish."
To recap, Westwood trailed Woods by one going into the final round after the American holed two monster putts for eagles and also chipped in on the 17th to snatch the lead.
But it was Woods who blinked first, and Westwood led by one at the turn.
"Your mind does occasionally get ahead and you do think this could be the one," said Westwood.
"But I've always been able to rein myself back in and I stayed very much in the present and concentrated on what I was doing."
Westwood did stutter, though, and standing on the 18th tee, he and Woods needed birdies to match Mediate.
Incredibly, Woods sank yet another long putt to barge his way into the play-off.
Westwood could only make a par five and came up one short.
He described it as "sickening" at the time, but looking back, would he have done anything differently?
"I'm pleased with the way I handled it," he said. "My technique could have been better in the fairway trap on 10. I thinned it through the back.
"And on 13 I went for the green with a three-wood when I should have laid up and pitched in from 90 yards. It was a 90%-10% shot, with 10% it could have gone OK. So I should have thought that out a little bit more. I was more surprised to see Tiger hit the same shot as me into the left-hand hazard.
"So that was a mental mistake, but it's hindsight isn't it?"
The US Open, traditionally set up with tight fairways and penal rough, has proved Westwood's happiest hunting grounds of the four majors, with a third, a fifth at in 2000 and seventh at the in San Francisco in 1998.
Only , of Europe's current elite, has a better record with a third and three seconds. Even , with a second, third, fourth, fifth and seventh, could not crack it.
Westwood has not played the infamous New York public course before, but watched on TV when Woods - ominously - won the US Open at Bethpage in 2002.
"It looks good, but tough," he said. "Tee to green the US Open is the most demanding of the majors. I've always been pretty high up in stats in greens in regulation and all-round driving so you'd think it would be one of the ones that suited me."
Westwood has struggled this season, with a best finish of 27th at the European Open, but he has been working hard with coach .
"Tee to green I'm pretty confident but 100 yards in I'm not up to standard, so that's the area I've got to work on the most," he said. "And my putting, but nobody's ever really happy with their putting."
At 36, Westwood is now one of the old guard on the European Tour, so is he worried his career might slip by without a major to his name?
"Part of the problem is that people build up majors and put them on a pedestal and you fall into the trap of believing all that," he said.
"You have to go in with a clear mind and forget that, and treat it just like any other week. You need the attitude of giving it 100% but not giving a monkey's.
"I figure I've got 10 more years. I've come close and I'd love to win one but it's not something I'll regret for the rest of my days."
Alongside Westwood, Britain's best hope at Bethpage perhaps lies with world number three , a solid driver who was 10th two years ago. Sweden's Henrik Stenson could also lead the European charge after winning the Players Championship. Padraig Harrington and Sergio Garcia, though, are strangely out-of-sorts.
But Woods's comeback after eight months out for knee surgery has been stellar by anyone else's standards. Six strokeplay events, two wins, nothing worse than ninth.
He's most definitely back, he's hungrier than ever and we saw last year the lengths to which Woods will go. And if he can win on one leg...Ìý
I'm Rob Hodgetts and I cover golf and stuff for 91Èȱ¬ Sport online when I am not news editing or managing the front page.
Comment number 1.
At 16th Jun 2009, lorus59 wrote:Can anyone answer the question as to why a European has not won the US Open in so long? 9 years is a hell of a long time.
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Comment number 2.
At 16th Jun 2009, madeiraman57 wrote:I'm not sure where Westy is getting his positives from..?
This season he has at least 4 starts with 36 hole leads or being 2nd / 3rd and he has blown up with poor play or wrong choice shots.
He used to be my ' wildcard' choice for years, but I think his best games are behind him , he will, sorry to say be an also ran.
The only Brits in form are Poulter, Casey and Brian Davis, good luck to them.
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Comment number 3.
At 16th Jun 2009, kwiniaskagolfer wrote:Nice article, Rob, but Lee may look back on 2008 as the US Open that got away.
His long game is invariably world class but, if his wedge game is iffy, it's sadly difficult to fancy his chances as his putting is seldom much better than average. Top twenty finish likely; top three? Not so much.
(madeiraman: Brian Davis may be in form but he's not in the US Open.)
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Comment number 4.
At 16th Jun 2009, Tano wrote:Bar Stenson's victory at Sawgrass and Casey's meteoric rise 2009 hasn't been a vintage year from the Europe big names.
Harrington, Sergio, Karlsson and Westwood, four of this continents star performers from last season, have all been average (at best in Padraig's case).
Bethpage offers the perfect oppurtunity for the above names to put their disappointing seasons behind them with a commendable performance or even a win.
Rob, are you lucky enough to be heading to New York?
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Comment number 5.
At 16th Jun 2009, lee fett wrote:You're right Lorus 9 years is a long time, however its not as long as the 39 years its actually been since a European won it :)
Its difficult to say why a European hasn't won it in so long. We've certainly had the players to do it and there are plenty of Europeans playing on the US tour these days so you can't use the excuse that they don't know how the course will be set up. Plenty of players have gone close so it does seem very strange that no-one's been able to go that extra inch and win it. One thing's for sure I don't think it will be long till we have another European winning it. I think the Europeans should feel a boost from Padraig winning a few majors the last couple of years and Stenson winning the Players Championship and hopefully that will give them a bit of added determination to do well and challenge.
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Comment number 6.
At 16th Jun 2009, lorus59 wrote:Yes, my mistake I meant to write 39 years.
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Comment number 7.
At 16th Jun 2009, hendie100 wrote:Maybe it's not so difficult to understand why a european has not won the US Open since Tony Jacklin, way back in 1970....
I believe this time span has brought with it a huge amount of pressure. This combined with the amount of media dribble written about previous players, in their hayday, not managing to step up to the plate, so more than any of us run of the mill club golfers could possibly understand. It's all everywell Westwood saying that you need to treat it like "just another tournament" but who is he trying to fool... The top European golfers are there ready to knocked down by the media should they not win and maybe it's that preassure that stops them performing as we know they can....
really looking forward to the US Open, come on Casey!!
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Comment number 8.
At 16th Jun 2009, used2beprofi wrote:i wouldn't count out stenson- i think he will be europe's best hope at bethpage black...
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Comment number 9.
At 16th Jun 2009, ChicagoBearCub wrote:Monty in his heyday had the best game suitable for the US Open, straight driving and finding greens in regulation, but like Westwood he failed to grab the opportunities when they presented themselves. This week we have the players - Stenson, Casey and Poulter - capable of doing similar but they will still have to beat The Man.
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Comment number 10.
At 16th Jun 2009, used2beprofi wrote:i'd love to see casey or poulter win too, but stenson's power will serve him well at bethpage black...but come the weekend when the crows will be roaring for tiger and phil- how will the others handle that??
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Comment number 11.
At 17th Jun 2009, cfcboy23 wrote:Interesting views but got to say - as much as I like Sergio et al - my chief interest is in the English players, not Europe. I don't cheer on Barcelona at football or French tennis players etc etc!
That minor gripe aside, I've followed a lot of Westwood's career and love him as I do, I don't see Lee winning this year as his form is very patchy and he seems to be throwing a way good positions in the third round, worryingly! I hope I'm proved wrong and the last couple of weeks practise get him back to his form of 2008.
Poulter, for me, is our best chance.
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Comment number 12.
At 18th Jun 2009, redfieldred wrote:I dont think media has much to do with it as then it would apply to Masters too. Most european major winners over the last 20 or 30 years have been shorter hitters with great shorter games/putting (iron approach shots rather than reaching the green with a wood) - Far more likely to win at shorter courses with tough chipping and putting such as Augusta- maybe why there have been less European Masters winners since the course was lengthened. If you can reach a long par five in 2 it gives a natural advantage. If your putting and short game are also generally very good then you need to have an off day to lose- as is the case with Woods. Monty and Westwood have never won majors and they have been best long hitters.
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