Lee Westwood overcomes rough start to shoot 70

Opening the Masters Tournament with a double bogey normally isn’t a sign of good things ahead.

Unless the sign on the back of your caddie reads “Westwood.”

Lee Westwood began his 14th Masters with a six on No. 1 after a wayward drive to the left, but he rebounded by playing the next 15 holes in 5-under and finishing at 70.

“It wasn’t the ideal start,” Westwood said. “But I have started major championships with a double bogey before. The U.S. Open last year springs to mind. There was really no panic. You can’t think you have to get it all back at once. It probably won’t happen, but you can stand on the second tee and say everybody in the field is going to have a double bogey this week. I just got mine out of the way early.”

Westwood used birdies on Nos. 2 and 9 to get back to even par heading into the second nine.

He gained momentum with a birdie on No. 13 that showed his patience and skill. He drove the ball into the trees and recovered by hitting his second to the left side of the green. His first putt came up way short and left him about a 17-footer for birdie.

“The longer I looked at that putt, the worse it got,” Westwood said. “When I hit the first putt, I thought it was going to be a tricky one. When I got over to it, I could see myself putting it off the back and putting into (the tributary of) Rae’s Creek. I left myself 16 or 17 feet short. I ended up making it. I made a few nice ones today.”

Westwood played the four par-5s in 3-under.

He is playing with a Shay putter from Ping that he has used many times recently.

“I was using a long putter that was a bit heavy,” said Westwood, a runner-up finisher at the 2010 Masters. “When you just have to breathe on a putt around here, it’s a bit tricky to do it with a putter that heavy. I went back to a putter that was much lighter and one I have used most of the year.”

Despite a bad chip on No. 17 that led to a bogey, Westwood handled the second nine in 2-under. He delighted the patrons around the green at No. 18 with a bunker shot. Patrons couldn’t see Westwood in the sand, but his 45-yard shot landed within 3 feet to close his day with an easy par.

“I really played solidly,” he said. “I played the par-5s really well, which you have to do here. I feel comfortable around this golf course. I can plot my way around it.”