Westwood’s major problem

Westwood: regained top spot from Kaymer with Jakarta victory

Lee Westwood insists he deserves the world number one ranking despite his lack of a major title.

Westwood’s three-shot victory at the Indonesian Open saw him regain top spot from Germany’s Martin Kaymer, who he had been overhauled by earlier in the season.

The Worksop golfer has won five times worldwide in the last 18 months but has fallen just short in the biggest events.

He finished tied for third at the 2009 Open and US PGA Championship and was second in the following year’s Masters and Open.

“I haven’t won a major yet but hope to do so soon,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of good chances to win majors but it just hasn’t happened.

“But the world rankings are all about consistency and playing well week in and week out, which I tend to do.

“The secret to being world number one is having the consistency, and all parts of your game have to be good to do that.”

Annoying

“The amount of times I have to answer it gets on my nerves.”
Lee Westwood on questions about his lack of a major Quotes of the week

Westwood, whose next assignment is at the $2.8 million Ballantine’s Championship in Korea from April 28-May 1, is increasingly weary of being asked about his major blank.

“The amount of times I have to answer it gets on my nerves,” he said. “This might be the very last time I could be answering this question. It could be no comment after this.”

Westwood, 38, previously spent 17 weeks at number one after deposing Tiger Woods last November.

“Obviously with being number one there is a lot more responsibility,” he said.

“You have a lot more things to do, media commitments and things like that.

“People want a lot more of your time, it becomes a bit difficult to cram everything in and leave time for practising golf and doing what got to you where you are. That’s the toughest part of it.”