Lee Westwood ready to wipe off threats at WGC-HSBC Champions
The newly crowned golf king is under pressure, with his thrown at stake. Lee Westwood, who became the world number one last Sunday, is once again worried as he will not be able to remain at the top for a very long time.
The Englishman is teeing off at the Sheshan International Golf Club where the WGC-HSBC Champions Tournament is in progress. The event is holding a powerful field of 77 players on the par-71 course, which is a major threat
for the player. World’s top 20 golfers, who were also a part of the Ryder Cup team, are standing in a queue to take their chance on the top spot of the leader board. All these men are in a perfect form, owing to the consistency they have being carrying for
the past six months. Except for Paul Casey, who was a subject of inconsistency and Louis Oosthuizen, who was absent in the last three tournaments owing to a foot injury, rest are all guns high to take the new King down.
Packed with the same determination are the top four players, Tiger Woods, Martin Kaymer and Phil Mickelson. All three are ready to test their luck on the course and overthrow Westwood. Mickelson is the defending champion
whereas Woods has twice won the runner-up spot on the same course. Therefore, stakes are high that by the end of the championship Westwood will be replaced by anyone of the three.
The Englishman has the same doubts as he has a fair idea of what the course and his position as a world number one demands from him. The 37-year-old has not fully recovered from the calf injury, which can play a crucial role
in hampering his performance in the tournament. To face such a strong field, one requires consistency, which comes through regular practice. Westwood has missed last two events, which makes him weak in this area.
Speaking to the press Westwood said, "Obviously it's very nice to be at the pinnacle of the sport. However, its one thing getting there and one thing staying there. It's going to be tough this week as I've to play well and
it may not be easy as I'm bound to be a bit rusty as I've not been playing a lot recently.
Discussing his injury, the Englishman said that his recovery would take some time, but he was getting bored at home so he took the risk of coming out of the safety zone. While Westwood has to fight the irksome effects of
his injury, he is still confident about chances at the WGC-HSBC Champions. He said, "I don't feel any added pressure being world number one. There's pressure but it's what you make out of it. It's unfortunate that my injury happened but you know it's just
a case of managing it at the moment and edging my way through."
On the other hand, the defending champion, Phil Mickelson is not in the mood to give up his title this easily. The world number four is eager to show his guns on the greens of the par-71 course. He told this to the press
after arriving at the Beijing airport on Wednesday. Mickelson has twice claimed victory at the same course. Thereby, it will not be difficult for him to conquer the venue once again.
Sheshan International Golf Club, which is hosting the WGC-HSBC Champions Tournament, is located inside the Sheshan National Tourism Resort, beside a river in close proximity of Moon Lake Park. The course is considered as one of
the longest courses of Asia, the most beautiful course in the world and the deadliest when it comes to challenge. Despite all this, Lee Westwood is ready to take up the challenge of retaining his title against a field, which has the entire Ryder Cup squad,
Asian Tour winners and major winners of 2010.
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