38th Ryder Cup
Venue: Celtic Manor, Newport Date: 1-3 October Starts: 0745 BST on Friday Coverage: Live commentary on BBC Radio 5 live & online, live text commentary online & daily highlights on BBC TWO. Live on Sky Sports 1
Lee Westwood said he is ready to lead by example as the Europe team bids to wrestle back the Ryder Cup from the United States at Celtic Manor.
The world number three has overcome a calf injury to take part in his seventh Cup, which starts on Friday.
"I've got the most experience and will try and show them how it's done," said the 37-year-old from Worksop.
The pairings for Friday's fourballs and foursomes will be announced at the opening ceremony at 1530 BST.
Westwood was surprisingly teamed up with rookie Rory McIlroy during final practice on Thursday, the 21-year-old Northern Ireland player having partnered fellow countryman Graeme McDowell during the previous practice days.
 |
606: DEBATE
olney9
|
Europe captain Colin Montgomerie opted to partner US Open champion McDowell with England's Ian Poulter.
Westwood has not played competitively in two months because of his calf problem, with his last tournament the Bridgestone Invitational back in early August
Asked whether his injury had made him a doubt for the clash in Wales, Westwood responded: "Yes, it did.
"I think when you go through a rehabilitation process, some weeks it moves quickly, other weeks, you don't see much of an improvement.
"It's a bit like building a house, if you go back every day, you don't see much of a change, but if you keep going back monthly - well, you don't see much change there, either.
"It's just because it's something that I've never been through before and you don't know what to expect. It's a bit like being a rookie on the Ryder Cup team."
Westwood admitted that the steep slopes on the Twenty Ten course and possibility of playing 36 holes a day would test his fitness, but added that he was confident of staying the pace.
"I wouldn't be here if I don't think I could play five matches," he added.
"So if Monty [Montgomerie] chooses to play me for five, then hopefully I'll be ready for it.
"I think we've got a strong enough team that we can rest players. It is a tough course physically and maybe the plan would be to rest players."
|
Every time you get put in a new situation, I think you get that extra bit of nerve
Europe rookie Peter Hanson
|
Westwood will leapfrog Phil Mickelson to take the world number two spot next week - with only Tiger Woods standing between himself and the number one spot.
The fitness of Europe team-mate and another Ryder Cup rookie Peter Hanson was also a worry after the Swede had pulled pulled out of last week's Vivendi Cup with a chest infection.
"I am feeling a lot better," said the 32-year-old, who is one of six debutants in Montgomerie's team.
"I had a bad cold that went down close to the lungs and into there, so it was a good decision to rest.
"I came here on Monday still not feeling great, but I have to say that from Tuesday morning to now it feels good."
Hanson said the new experience of playing at the Ryder Cup would likely set his nerves jangling.
"I think everybody is going to be nervous. It's hard as a rookie because you don't really know what to expect, but we have all been in positions," he said.
"Every time you get put in a new situation, I think you get that extra bit of nerve.
"I remember the first European Tour event I played on home soil in Sweden.
"I played as an amateur, and the feeling walking on to that first tee pretty close to where I live with packed grandstands all the way down, I think that feeling is going to be something similar to this."
No comments:
Post a Comment