Quarantine restrictions on entry to the United States mean that Lee Westwood’s preparations for a reprogrammed United States PGA Championship should begin in a California hotel room. Instead, it will be in the front row when the whole European tour returns to action. Westwood will host the British Masters on Wednesday instead of embarking on a two-week isolation period in the United States. He never had an idea to try to break the regulations. “It’s a bit obvious, isn’t it?” Westwood says. “And you have to stick to the rules.”
An appearance at Harding Park in San Francisco would have been Westwood’s 83rd major, which only supports his longevity. His competitive instinct and talent remain intact. “I’m playing as always,” he says.
Yet you have the impression that the 47-year-old will not lose sleep by watching the American PGA – and the previous week’s World Golf Championship in Memphis – from afar. It remains to be seen if the quarantine will be loosened before the US Open in September. Otherwise, Westwood doesn’t seem willing to travel to New York for that.
“Right now I look at the situation and would like to go?” Westwood says. “I’m slightly suspicious of it. If you can do something to prevent more exposure … walk through Heathrow, get on a plane, then be in San Francisco, be with people who have not taken the most serious measures of us. You would feel a little uncomfortable in that situation. What’s more important, your health or playing in a major? I missed the major ones before. “
Westwood and the European Tour biosecurity bubble at Close House near Newcastle will be scrutinized. Westwood is perfectly comfortable with golf in a Covid-19 world. “I can’t wait, I don’t feel pressure,” he says. “I like what the European Tour has done by giving more time than the PGA Tour. When I look across the Atlantic at what is going on, I am a little worried about them. They don’t seem to have it under control. We have been a little more cautious here. It is likely that someone will test positively when they come from all over the world, but we hope to be able to minimize it. “
Westwood’s social media commentary on restarting the PGA Tour – since June 11 – has been a source of light entertainment. Skepticism is not at all subtle undertone. “I find it hard to believe that three people tested positive and that they were able to play last week,” says Westwood of Dylan Frittelli, Denny McCarthy and Nick Watney.
“I can’t understand it. Why test if it will be the case? And to couple them all in the same group … ”Westwood laughs at the apparent madness of it all.
However, it would not be accurate to describe Westwood as a grin from a British ivory tower. When asked about the general management of coronavirus related issues near home, he is sincere. “I was disappointed with the guide,” he says. “The message that the government has entered could have been much, much clearer.
“They put the word that they relied on the public to use common sense and I don’t think common sense is more abundant. I think common sense is dying out. People need more direction because they are used to being told what to think today. Seems like they need to be informed about what to do.
“I have a certain sympathy because it is not something we have had to deal with before, but it seems that they have not chosen an approach and a plan and have followed it. They have been diverted a lot, which is not what you want from the country’s leaders. They must be really strong at times like this. “
Westwood’s sturdiness was reinforced by the loss of blockage of two stones. The button? No more than 2,100 calories per day on a more balanced diet, without midweek alcohol and regular Peloton sessions. “It just makes you feel better about yourself, doesn’t it?” he says.
“I have won light tournaments and I have won heavy tournaments, but Nick Price said it years ago, when you finish a game of golf you should feel like you can play another one.
“I haven’t played much in the past two years between February and May. Maybe I played one or two tournaments in 16 weeks, so it wasn’t that hard for me not to play. During your 28th year of touring, maybe you won’t get lost as much as if you’ve only been there two or three years. “
Westwood fully agreed with the decision to delay the Ryder Cup by 12 months rather than playing fewer spectators. “Above every tournament, you benefit from crowd participation. You have to find the balance between compromises to keep the event going and the one that takes too much away from the tournament. “
There is a chain effect for the former world no. 1. He has already stated his goal of captaining Europe for the subsequent staging of the biennial event. That Ryder Cup will now take place in the Marco Simone club near Rome in 2023 instead of 2022. “I’d still like to do it and I’d still like to do it in Italy,” says Westwood.
“The one year extension is probably positive for Italy. It is a brand new course so it will give time to mature, it will give Europeans the chance to see it in an Italian Open.
“I will be 50 against 49, it will give me another year thinking about playing well and competing. There are some positive aspects. “
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It is questionable whether Westwood’s contribution to sport in the UK has been properly recognized. Unforeseen circumstances mean that it will be firmly placed in the limelight at the first of half a dozen consecutive tournaments in the UK. There should be no harm in this, or, indeed, the cause of raised eyebrows in the immigration circles of the United States.
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