Hot start to season boosts Lee Westwood's confidence in his golf game

It’s already been quite a year for Lee Westwood, on and off the golf course.

In mid-February, the Englishman was awarded the OBE from Queen Elizabeth II. Eleven days later, he was a semifinalist in the PGA Tour’s Match Play Championship, where he has historically struggled.

“This is certainly a nice start to the year, yeah.” Westwood said. “I’ve played better at the start of the year than I ever have done. So it’s been pretty good so far.”

OBE stands for Order of the British Empire.

According to The British Monarchy Web site, the OBE “recognizes distinguished service to the arts and sciences, public services outside the Civil Service and work with charitable and welfare organizations of all kinds.”

“It was something I never experienced before,” said Westwood, who turns 39 on April 24. “I’ve been to Buckingham Palace, but to accept an OBE from the queen was a special moment.

“It was nice to share it with everybody. And, obviously, it’s a reward for having a fairly long, successful career.”

It’s a career that includes 35 wins worldwide, 22 weeks at the top of the World Golf Ranking and a 16-11-6 record in the past seven Ryder Cups, during which Europe has a 5-2 record against the U.S.

What is missing is a major championship title.

He’s been close. In each of the past three seasons, Westwood has had at least one top-three finish in a major championship. In 2009, he tied for third in the British Open and the PGA Championship. In 2010, he was second in the Masters Tournament and the British Open. And in 2011, he tied for third in the U.S. Open.

Westwood, who owns a race horse named Rerouted, has a sense of humor about his close calls. In a race in late February, Rerouted finished second.

“It’s a good horse, just doesn’t win, which I can sympathize with to a certain extent,” he said.

In the Masters, Westwood has been around the top 10 in three of the past four years. He tied for 11th in 2008, was 43rd in 2009, second in 2010 and tied for 11th last year.

“Hopefully I’ll win,” he said. “I think this year could be it. I’m certainly playing well enough and getting my game together.”

“I view Lee as one of the best players in the world,” said U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy, who ended Westwood’s Match Play Championship run in the semifinals in late February. “He has been one of the best players in the world for a few years. You know, he is one of the guys that when you look at a leaderboard or you look at a tournament field, he’s one of the guys that you look for because he’s been so consistent. You know, if you want to win a tournament, you’re going to have to get past him at some stage.”

One reason for Westwood’s recent success at the Masters (he had only one top-10 finish in his first eight starts) is the patience he’s shown on his approach shots at Augusta National.

“I’ve always been fairly aggressive and gone at a lot of flags, probably more than I should have done in the past. And it is a golf course you have to be very strategic on and play patiently. You learn it fairly quickly, but if you are stupid sometimes like me, sometimes it takes awhile to sink in. And sometimes you just can’t help it, or I seem to, in the past. Like not be able to help myself and go at flags.

“Whereas, you know, you need a bit of discipline, straight over the trap on No. 12 and try to hit to the middle of the green. You make four threes there, I think most people would take that. That kind of thing.”

Like so many elite players, Westwood set his tournament schedule so he can peak at the Masters. He started his season on the European Tour in the Middle East, playing in five events (three top-20s, including a second at the Dubai Desert Classic in the final start).

Then came his strong run at the Match Play Championship, which was the first of three PGA Tour events in a row. A two-week break followed, then he planned to play at Houston as a Masters prelude.

“The whole schedule for the first part of the year is geared up to Augusta, really, being in good shape by then,” he said. “It feels like good preparation for me. So that’s really why I play the schedule that I play.”

Being the No. 1 player in the world again isn’t one of Westwood’s goals right now.

“To win a major championship, to win World Golf Championships, to win in the States and do that more regularly are goals,” he said. “If I do that, then the No. 1 in the world ranking just comes along as a product of that. But obviously, you know, I’d be lying if I didn’t say every guy playing this week wants to be No. 1 in the world. It means you’re playing well, for starters.”