When it comes to the Ryder Cup, Lee Westwood is keeping the most rarified company. The only European players who have amassed more points than him are Sir Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomere, Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal. It’s quite possible, when he makes his eighth appearance at Medinah next week, he could [...]

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Westwood eyes Faldo’s Ryder Cup

Courtesy Daily Mail
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When it comes to the Ryder Cup, Lee Westwood is keeping the most rarified company. The only European players who have amassed more points than him are Sir Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomere, Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal.

It’s quite possible, when he makes his eighth appearance at Medinah next week, he could go past both Spanish maestros. No wonder he values his Ryder Cup record so highly.

Record: The Englishman has Faldo's points haul in his sights. Reuters.

‘I’ve got 19 points and I hope to play in several more Ryder Cups and win many more points,’ said the 39 year old. ‘Faldo holds the record with 25 points and it’s certainly a goal of mine to become the top scorer. You’ve always got to have ambitions in tis game, and that one is right up there.’

Adding further motivation is the fact he blames Faldo for the one really sour moment he has experienced.

It came in 2008 at Valhalla when Faldo was the captain. Westwood, playing a fourballs match in the company of Soren Hansen and on the cusp of equalling Arnold Palmer’s record of 12 matches unbeaten, was told he was going to be dropped from a series of matches the following morning for the first time in his career.

‘It was easily the worst moment, it just seemed such a strange time to drop somebody,’ said Westwood, who was clearly flat when he did get out on the course the following afternoon, partnering Hansen again and losing his unbeaten record.

‘I don’t think captains can help significantly in winning a match but if they get the little things wrong they can have a significant effect on you losing it,’ he added.

Ouch. It’s an illustration of the fire that’s in his belly when it comes to these biennial matches. Ironically enough, it all began for him with a successful partnership with Faldo at Valderrama in 1997. Since then he has been the unheralded rock of so many stirring victories, forging partnerships with the likes of Darren Clarke and relishing putting America’s leading lights to the sword.

‘You’d think having played in seven the excitement might have lessened but that’s certainly not the case. I might know what to expect but I’m still really excited. I think this will be a great Ryder Cup, with two even teams and all 24 players ranked among the top 36 players in the world, which I believe is the first time that has ever happened.’

One of the things Westwood loves is the banter. Told that American captain Davis Love has been trying to ‘European proof’ the course by making it a birdie-fest, he smiles and says: ‘Well, that will make it an even bigger achievement if we somehow manage to win, won’t it? They’ve got home advantage and a course only they can play. What a triumph it would be to beat them!’




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