Lee Westwood is hosting this week’s British Masters, and he could yet end the weekend as the tournament’s champion after finishing today’s second round on nine-under-par. Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson followed the former world number one as he made his way around Close House


STRIDING down the fairway on his third hole of the day, Lee Westwood looked up to see Graham Wylie ducking inside the ropes. “Not going badly Graham,” beamed Westwood. Indeed it isn’t. And over the course of the next two days, it could be about to get even better still.

Westwood finds himself in an unusual position at this week’s British Masters, part golfing professional, part doting father. This tournament is his offspring, after he was asked to assume hosting duties by the European Tour, and his close relationship with the Close House course means he was always going to have a strong personal interest in its success.

So there he was, halfway through today’s round, chastising spectators in the corporate boxes overlooking the green after a mobile phone went off just as his playing partner, Sergio Garcia, was halfway through his backswing. A couple of days earlier, he had been finalising the exact position of the tee boxes and pin placements. The week before that, it was dealing with ticket requests. “To be honest, it’s been mainly tickets,” he joked after completing his round. “I feel like I should have my own ticket line.”

At some stage, though, the PA duties were always going to have to be shelved. You don’t get to be a former World number one, not to mention a three-time runner-up in Majors, by answering phone calls and sending out tickets in envelopes.

The competitor within the 44-year-old was always going to come to the fore eventually, and after confirming his competitiveness with an opening round of 66, today was the day when Westwood, British Masters champion at the Belfry in 2007, put himself firmly in contention for the weekend.

A second-round 65 leaves him at nine under for the tournament, three shots behind leader Tyrrell Hatton, and his performance over the last two days has dispelled any fears that the pressure of playing host might prevent him from challenging at the top of the leaderboard. Instead, his hosting responsibilities appear to have inspired him. Either that, or whacking a few golf balls around is much more enjoyable than sorting out seating plans.

“I’ve been busy with this for a year basically,” said Westwood. “And then very busy for the last week. And then extremely busy for the last three days! When I slipped my spikes on for the opening round, it was a bit of a relief to actually be a golfer again.

“It’s been nice to be able to shelve that other stuff for a bit and concentrate on hitting the ball. No one has been asking me where we’re putting a tee or where we’re putting a flag, or something like that.

“I’m pleased everything is going well. It was nice to stand on that first tee (on Thursday) and see so many people here, the course in good condition, and everybody excited and looking forward to supporting the tournament.

“I’m also pleased that I’m playing well. I haven’t made a bogey yet this week, and I’ve made nine birdies as well and played solidly. I hit it pretty much where I wanted to right through both days. I like my position going into the weekend, and I guess it’s nice for the host to be in contention.”

With Garcia and Rory McIlroy struggling – the former failed to make the cut after missing a succession of putts yesterday – Westwood’s heroics, along with those of fellow Ryder Cup stalwart Ian Poulter, have ensured there is still a high degree of glamour at the top of the leaderboard heading into the weekend.

For Westwood, today was about playing the percentages, and playing them well. When he tees up at Close House for fun, the newly-native North-Easterner rarely has a driver out of his hand. Today, taking on the course ‘for real’, he was playing for position with a three-wood or hybrid.

The vast majority of fairways were hit, the vast majority of greens were found in regulation. Plenty of putts didn’t drop, a failing that has plagued Westwood throughout his career and been the main barrier to getting over the line in a Major, but five did and, crucially, he never found himself scrabbling too wildly to make par.

His first birdie came at the par-five 13th, which was his fourth hole of the day, and came courtesy of a wonderful fairway wood to the edge of the green. That sparked a run of three birdies in the space of three holes, with the pick coming courtesy of a 12-foot putt at the 15th after Alan Shearer appeared alongside Wylie inside the fairway ropes. From centre-forward, to the centre of the hole.

There were two more birdies at the first and fourth, and while an opportunity went begging at the par-five sixth as a birdie putt shaved the hole, Westwood remained unruffled throughout.

It undoubtedly helped that he knew the holes he was playing, and while his playing partners, Garcia and Alex Noren, sprayed things around, he was generally plotting the shortest course from tee to green. Then, when he got to the putting surface, he knew which way things were breaking.

“Certainly on the green, it’s always handy to know the breaks,” he said. “I’m still asking Billy’s (Foster, his caddy) opinion, but it’s always an advantage to have played the course more than a few times.

“They’re using different flags, and your attitude has to change. Then it was tricky when all that rain came down. It changes the golf course a lot. Obviously the fairways get wet and the ball doesn’t fly as it would if it was dry. You’ve just got to make constant adjustments.”

Those adjustments clearly worked, and Westwood’s ease with his game was obvious from the way in which he chatted with Wylie for most of his round. The pair have put on a tournament they can be proud of, with Westwood delighted to see the scoreboard dominated by red squares.

“I don’t mind everybody going out and making a load of birdies,” he said. “There’s not been a lot of wind over the last two days. Tyrrell’s at 12-under, and that’s not ridiculous.

“I don’t mind everyone coming out and seeing the lads make birdies and hit it close. That’s what golf’s all about. You see too many tournaments where the pros are miserable and they’ve got their heads down because they’re just grinding away. I don’t mind a tournament like that, but I’d much prefer to come out and see birdies.”

And if he can see a few more of his own over the next two days, that will make the whole experience even more enjoyable.