Lee Westwood fires 61, climbs up to the top
It seems that Lee Westwood finally got his act together. The Englishman shot a brilliant round of 11-under 61 to climb up twelve places and lead the WGC-HSBC Champions.
His 61 meant that Louis Oosthuizen’s five strokes lead had been cut down. Now the tournament is left wide open, with a magnificent Sunday looming ahead.
"I just wanted to come out fast and try to get some momentum. That's been missing from my game the last couple of weeks," said Westwood. "I came out as quick as you like with three birdies, and that got me going and the hole started to look bigger".
On a day where everybody shot low scores, Louis Oosthuizen struggled to cope up. He could only manage an average round of 2-under 70.
It has been long since we have seen such a round from Westwood. The Englishman has mostly struggled throughout but signing the season off with a victory at Mission Hills would boost his confidence immensely.
It was the eleven birdie blitz by Lee that sent him right at the top of the summit. Currently, he is the co-leader of the field, along with Louis Oosthuizen.
Much is still at stake as, after today’s round, many people have shot some low rounds, which has brought them right in contention.
The highlight of the day was Brandt Snedeker’s round of 60. The American missed the golf’s magical number 59 by an inch.
Oosthuizen and Westwood will start on Sunday having a three-shot lead over the two-time champion Phil Mickelson.
Westwood finally took advantage of the par-5s, birdying all five of them. The key to success at the Olazabal’s Course lies in those five holes. The one who will benefit the most from those will find success easily.
The Englishman started and ended his round beautifully as he shot three straight birdies first up. His solid and flawless round was sealed by his four consecutive birdies on the last five holes.
Ending the round with four straight birdies always gives you a good feeling. More importantly, it gives you a great deal of confidence for the upcoming round.
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