|
Lee Westwood
|
Westwood’s Invitation from The King
Arnold Palmer has sent Lee Westwood an early 30th birthday present
and invited him to play in his Bay Hill Classic this month.
Palmer, still pacing the fairways at 72, has often sat in the
locker room sharing a beer with former European No.1 Westwood
and world No.2 Ernie Els and when he heard that the Englishman
had dropped out of the world’s top 50 and did not automatically
qualify sent him a personal invitation.
|
I am absolutely delighted
that Mr. Palmer has asked me to play, said
Westwood, now recovered from the virus that forced his withdrawal
from the Malaysian Masters when lying seventh after two rounds.
The Bay Hill Classic is one of my favourite events of the season
and
being in Orlando will also give me the opportunity of some valuable
practice with my new coach David Leadbetter, added Westwood. This
is the start of the new beginning for me because I felt my old touch
coming back in Malaya before I became ill.
Westwood tunes up for Bay Hill in this week’s Dubai Desert
Classic
alongside ISM stablemate and career-long rival Darren Clarke.
The Ulsterman reached the quarterfinals of the Accenture WGC Match
Play and kicked himself for not progressing further. With his opponent,
tough Aussie Peter Lonard, in a bunker on nine and already three
down, Clarke went for the flag, missed the green and eventually
lost a hole he thought he was going to win.
With that mistake went Clarke’s momentum and the match, but
he was far from despondent as he headed home. I feel as if I am
really striking the ball very well and very close to making my first
breakthrough of the season, he said.
The ISM stable has its biggest representation of the season in Dubai
as they seek to build on Mark Foster’s South African success
at the start of the season.
by Martin Hardy on behalf of ISM
|
|