Golf Special Report: Lee Westwood's journey to Number One
Lee Westwood is the highest ranked player in the world right now. It is a known fact that one doesn’t just find himself on the top one day, he has to work his way to the top. Just like everyone, Lee had to struggle and go through various alterations in order to be the best player of golf. Westwood was crowned number one on Monday when he ended Tiger Wood’s 5 year long reign as golf’s top cat.
Westwood was in close competition with Martin Kaymer to dethrone Woods. Since Kaymer recently won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland, he made his way to World Number three. In order to become number one, Kaymer had to finish second or win the Andalucía Masters. Unfortunately, Kaymer couldn’t achieve that and hence Westwood became number one following the final round of the Masters tournament in Spain.
What Westwood has achieved is obviously attributed to his hard work and talent. However, Westwood isn’t solely responsible for his success. One person who has taught and sharpened Lee’s skills is none other than his fitness coach, Steve McGregor.
Lee himself boasted about McGregor and how he has affected his game. His career had a rough patch in 2002 but seeing how he rose from the ashes and is now the best eight years later. Lee’s manager, Chubby Chandler, knew more McGregor and Westwood’s interactions.
"To go from No 259 in the world to No 1 will never be done again, but then I can't see anybody going from No 4 to 259 either," said Chandler. "You can't underplay the effect McGregor has had. The training has given Lee a massive presence. You only have to look at him at last year's Dubai World Championship or at the Ryder Cup, where he walked around Celtic Manor like he owned the place: 'I am Lee Westwood, and I am the best player here'.
Chandler said that Lee was the fourth ranked player in the world before he was thirty. He had achieved so much and probably hadn’t even realized what he was doing. He was victorious in twenty tournaments without even knowing how hard they were. Chubby remembers the time Westwood had a last-day scoring average of 66, something he termed as ‘phenomenal’.
Reminiscing nine years back, Chandler said that in 2001 Players Championships when Westwood was in number six he couldn’t really get around the Augusta Golf course and didn’t perform so well that year. Following that when his first baby was born, Lee took some time off. Coming back to golf, Westwood was short of confidence and didn’t perform so well. He had years of humiliation but things starting working out for Lee as he returned to his old ways.
In 2006, when Westwood decided to get in form again, he came across McGregor who was introduced to him by David O’Leary. Before joining Lee, Steve had been working with Birmingham and had done an amazing job. Westwood is very strong and benches more than 100 kg. His manager even said soon the public will be seeing pictures of him posing in the gym.
Now that Westwood is Number one, he has a certain responsibilities on him. With all he has achieved now, it’s like seeing Lee maturing right there. The way people perceive him is different and he really shouldn’t be looking like someone who isn’t grateful for what he has. His manager, coach and caddie Billy Foster met up with Lee asking about what his plan was.
Now that he is World number one, Westwood will focus on winning the majors and also making some cash. Even though money isn’t his first priority, he will keep his eyes glued on the wins.
The HSBC Championship going on right now in Shanghai China and it has gotten eight of the top ten ranked players in the world competing. With not only a week since Westwood’s glory, he has a lot of competitors in line for his spot. If Westwood wants to retain his position for the following season, he will definitely have to work for it.
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