20110329
“This is generally the time of year I start playing fairly well,” world number two says
Last updated: 29th March 2011 
Westwood: feeling pretty sharp
Also see
With The Masters looming large next weekend, Lee Westwood thinks his game is coming together at precisely the right time.
The 37-year-old Englishman will have the chance for a final competitive tune-up at the Shell Houston Open this week, where he has been paired with Phil Mickelson for the first two rounds.
Mickelson, of course, was the man who separated Westwood from the green jacket at Augusta 12 months ago and both have yet to win this season.
Another motivation for Westwood ahead of the year’s first major is that a top-two finish this weekend will move him back to the top of the world rankings.
“I feel like I am playing well – my game’s in good shape. All of it seems pretty sharp,” he said on Tuesday.
“This is generally the time of year I start playing fairly well and hitting a bit of form. It’s a good time of year to start playing well.
Prepared
“The main point here is that they try to get the greens as quick as possible so when you get to Augusta next week it’s not as big a shock to see the speed of them. You’ve been prepared for them.
“It helped a lot last year (he came joint eighth in Houston). I like to be competitive going into the week of a major. That’s the reason I play the schedule I play.
“If you look at all the major championships this year, I am playing the week before. If I go in after two weeks off I could be rusty, even for nine holes – and that’s too much in a major.”
Westwood’s putting has been his biggest concern so far in 2011 and he is planning a change for this week to see how it goes.
Meanwhile, Ryder Cup captains Jose Maria Olazabal and Davis Love III will also be playing together on Thursday and Friday in Texas.
It is Olazabal’s first appearance in America since June 2009. He was out most of last season with a recurrence of rheumatic pains.
‘ );
}
});
$.ajax(
url: “/yourview/comments_json/0,26302,6841863_”+selectedPageNumber+”_20,00.txt”,
cache: true,
dataType: “json”,
success: function(json)
loadingFinished = true;
$(‘#load-comments’).html(”);
processJSONComments(json, selectedPageNumber);
if (typeof _hbPageView != “undefined”)
myPN = hbx.pn + ” – ” + selectedPageNumber;
myMLC = hbx.mlc + “/” + selectedPageNumber;
_hbPageView(myPN, myMLC);
if (typeof SKY_TRACKING != “undefined”)
// section will remain as it is on the page
// contentType will be “article comments” or “match comments”
SKY_TRACKING.contentType = “article comments”;
SKY_TRACKING.pagination = “page ” + selectedPageNumber;
sky.tracking.launch ( SKY_TRACKING );
$(‘#load-comments’).css(‘min-height’, ” );
$(‘#load-comments’).css(‘display’, ” );
$(‘#load-comments’).children(‘.ss-opinion-comment-box-comment’).show();
},
error: function (XMLHttpRequest, textStatus, errorThrown)
loadingFinished = true;
$(‘#load-comments #loading’).remove();
$(‘#load-comments’).children(‘.ss-opinion-comment-box-comment’).show();
});
window.location.hash=’yourviewcomments’;
return false;
});
}
function processJSONComments(json,page)
var perPage = 20;
var beginIndex = (page-1) * perPage;
var createdComments = 0;
var comment;
$(‘.ss-opinion-comment-box ul.pagination li’).removeClass(‘on’);
$(‘.ss-opinion-comment-box ul.pagination’).find(‘li:eq(‘+page+’)’).addClass(‘on’);
$(‘.pag-key span’).html(page);
for(var i in json)
comment = jsoni;
createComment(i, comment);
createdComments++;
updatePagination(page);
}
function processXMLComments(xml,page)
var perPage = 20;
var beginIndex = (page-1) * perPage;
var createdComments = 0;
$(‘.ss-opinion-comment-box ul.pagination li’).removeClass(‘on’);
$(‘.ss-opinion-comment-box ul.pagination’).find(‘li:eq(‘+page+’)’).addClass(‘on’);
$(‘.pag-key span’).html(page);
$(“comment”,xml).each(
function(index,node)
createComment(index, node);
createdComments++;
);
updatePagination(page);
}
function updatePagination(page)
var paginationItems = $(“ul.pagination”);
var totalPages = 0;
var startPage = 1;
if( totalPages ‘ +
startPage + ”;
if( startPage == page )
$(node).addClass(‘on’);
else
$(node).removeAttr(‘class’);
$(node).html(pageHtml);
startPage++;
}
);
}
);
setupCommentPageClickHandlers();
}
function createComment(index, commentNode )
if(commentNode.ownerDocument)
var user = $(“user”,commentNode).text();
var favTeam = $(“favTeam”,commentNode).text();
var comment = $(“body”,commentNode).text();
var dateCreated = $(“dateCreated”,commentNode).text();
var editorComments = $(“editorComments”,commentNode).text();
else
var user = commentNode.user;
var favTeam = commentNode.favTeam;
var comment = commentNode.body;
var dateCreated = commentNode.dateCreated;
var editorComments = commentNode.editorComments;
var nomination = commentNode.ysTitle;
var commentHTML = ”;
$(‘#load-comments’).append(commentHTML);
}
Stats package
Study our comprehensive stats package ahead of the Shell Houston Open and Hassan II Trophy.
Major steps forward
Lee Westwood tells Sky Sports magazine how he’s gone from Masters novice to potential champion.
Jack and the lads
Beefy, Stevo, Jamie, Nasser and Dewi put their questions to Masters legend Jack Nicklaus.
Excerpt from:
Westwood ‘in good shape’