Westwood finds form in time for Ryder Cup
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Your support makes all the difference.Lee Westwood yesterday enjoyed an experience he has not had for a long, long time leading a golf tournament. It was not an ordinary tournament either, but the NEC World Championship here featuring all the game's top 50 players and offering a million-dollar first prize.
Westwood, the former European No 1 who in the last 15 months has slipped from fourth to 144th in the world, went to the turn in 32 at the tree-lined Sahalee Country Club. Although he then bogeyed the next two holes coming back, a three-under-par 68 was a big step in the right direction with the Ryder Cup at The Belfry only a month away.
Westwood was three behind the leaders Toshimitsu Izawa, of Japan, and the South African Retief Goosen, two behind a group which included Darren Clarke, and one behind Justin Rose. Also on three under were the Spaniard Sergio Garcia and Tiger Woods, who found the water at the short 17th for a double bogey.
Only a week ago Westwood, who has not won since the World Match Play in October 2000, had a season's worst 82 to miss the halfway cut in the United States PGA Championship. But a 12-foot birdie putt on his opening green, the 10th, was just what he was looking for. Westwood then holed from 12 feet at the 12th, 15 feet at the 14th and nine feet two holes later.
At that stage he shared the lead with Clarke, who over on the front nine opened with four birdies and then had another before slipping back to three under with six to play. However he picked up his round at the end with birdies at the last two for a five-under-par 66.
By contrast, the Dubliner Paul McGinley double-bogeyed two of the last three to drop to last place on eight over.
Rose turned in level par and matched Westwood's 32 for the back nine. The 22-year-old said: "In practice on both days I had more birdies on the back nine and that's what I told myself when I got a bit frustrated on the outward half."
Colin Montgomerie reached three under after birdies at three of the first six holes, but came unstuck at the 535-yard 18th where, disturbed by two spectators, he fluffed his chip on to a cart path and carded a double bogey seven en route to a level par 71.
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