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Lee Westwood, world No.1 (ish) ahead of US Open

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    Lee Westwood, world No.1 (ish) ahead of US Open

    At least by one reckoning - Westwood, after his win at the Memphis Classic (aided in no small part by the spectacular, Van de Velde - style collapse up the last by American journeyman Robert Garrigus) has now earned more world ranking points this year than any other, and also more ranking points over the 2 years of the rankings than anyone else.

    Only the fact that Westwood has played in 51 events in that time, compared to Mickelson's 41, and Woods' 40 (which is the minimum ranking divisor, Woods has actually played about 25 times in that period) keeps Westwood off the top spot, as the rankings are based on average points per event played.

    I really, really, hope Lee can take this form to Pebble Beach and win next week (a victory that would push him up to official world number one even on the average points system). Pebble Beach will be a different prospect to Memphis, though - not only is it a major but also the course itself is more akin to a British links course than the typical American US Open parkland one, swept as it is sometimes by the gales coming off the Pacific. In 1992, almost no-one managed to break 75 in the final round (those that did almost all ended up in the top ten as the rest were shooting 80s or more), so it will be interesting to see if those conditions repeat this year - and if they do, will they favour the Brits like Westwood who really ought to be better in those conditions than others.

    #2
    Lee Westwood, world No.1 (ish) ahead of US Open

    I love it when the US Open is held on the west coast in even years. The eight hour time difference means there's no clash with whatever major football tournament is occurring. Although, had this Open been staged on the east coast there's every chance I'd have turned off the football anyway since it's been generally shite.

    Anyway, I love Pebble Beach. The US Open of 1992 was one of the first majors I watched from start to finish, and I've had a soft spot for it ever since. I still recall Gil Morgan reaching a record-breaking 11under on the Friday, which gave him an eight stroke lead at the time, only to blow-up and not even be in the running by Sunday. My father, incidentally, backed Tom Kite at 40/1 on the Saturday.

    I've backed Graeme McDowell, Dustin Johnson, Luke Donald & Tim Clark for this. Tiger Woods wasn't pre-tournament favourite - the first time this millenium that he's not been favourite for a major.

    My weekend is sorted so.

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      #3
      Lee Westwood, world No.1 (ish) ahead of US Open

      I've played Pebble Beach perhaps 200 times. My best score was 29 under although that was off the normal tees, not the competition ones.
      Obviously I had wind turned off too.

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        #4
        Lee Westwood, world No.1 (ish) ahead of US Open

        He's back...

        Tiger Woods is on a roll. He's burned up the course today, scoring nine birdies en route to a 66. And secured with the Pebble Beach wind howling. He's up to fourth on the leaderboard, having teed off back in joint 27th. He's after hitting the shot of the tournament on the 18th - a three wood from under a tree and stitched right into the heart of the green.

        The joint leaders are Dustin Johnson & Graeme McDowell. I have both backed to win so I could be celebrating tomorrow night. But to he'll with financial gain, watching Tiger Woods play as he has today is one of sports greatest pleasures. May it continue tomorrow.

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          #5
          Lee Westwood, world No.1 (ish) ahead of US Open

          I neglected Johnson despite of his recent wins at the A&T, because while that event is held on the Monterrey peninsula, only one of the first three and the final round are actually at Pebble Beach itself, and Johnson scored 74 round it on the Sunday in February.

          Foolish over-thinking there. Unless Johnson goes mad he should hang onto this tonight, Pebble Beach on a US Open Sunday is not exactly a course you can charge at, even if you're Tiger Woods. Another 74 tonight for Johnson, I reckon he'll win by a shot.

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            #6
            Lee Westwood, world No.1 (ish) ahead of US Open

            They just showed Westwood on the tee at the short par three. He hits the ball and one of those tedious fucking oxgem thieves you sometimes get at golf shouted "it's in the hole!" at the top of his lungs. Without taking his eyes of the ball, Westy, in his broad Yorkshire accent says "I can assure you it's not."

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              #7
              Lee Westwood, world No.1 (ish) ahead of US Open

              I'd love him to be a Yorkie, but sadly he's Nott...

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                #8
                Lee Westwood, world No.1 (ish) ahead of US Open

                Johnson's just played the second about as well as I would have done (triple bogey), and his lead is gone. Now it's him, McDowell, and three players who have won 22 majors between them, all within 3 shots with 15 holes to go.

                Now we find out ...

                If Tiger wins, he's on the front page of every major newspaper in the Western world tomorrow.

                If Mickleson wins, he's finally the world number one, and only the 7th man in history to have won the Masters, PGA and US Open titles.

                If Els wins, he's (I think) only the 4th or 5th man to win as many as 3 US Opens in history.

                Of course, I want McDowell, as things stand.

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                  #9
                  Lee Westwood, world No.1 (ish) ahead of US Open

                  If Tiger wins, he's on the front page of every major newspaper in the Western world tomorrow.
                  You have the most bizarre sense of the place of golf in contemporary discourse.

                  Tiger could win and jump naked into the Pacific to join a flock of similarly unclothed mistresses, and it wouldn't make the front page of the major papers in more than half the countries in the EU (I'll give you the UK, Ireland and Bild).

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                    #10
                    Lee Westwood, world No.1 (ish) ahead of US Open

                    The 7th, Els would become. But the 6th since Bobby Jones's day, when the US Open became a recognised "major".

                    Johnson's just lost his ball off the tee on a drive, a fate that hasn't befallen a leading player in a major championship since Gary Evans in - when was it - 2001 at the Open?

                    There's normally that many fans around you hit one of them, before you lose your ball in the rough?

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                      #11
                      Lee Westwood, world No.1 (ish) ahead of US Open

                      For once, Ben Dirs on the BBC website sums things up far better than anyone:

                      McDowell trying to keep cool while Johnson's imploding beside him, which must be a bit like trying to ignore a burning man running through your living room.

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                        #12
                        Lee Westwood, world No.1 (ish) ahead of US Open

                        That Gary Evans blow-up was 2002, at Muirfield. I seem to recall his manic drives being complemented by a collection of long-range putts sunk from 30 & 40 feet.

                        This collapse by Johnson, and the sheer size of it - five shots dropped over three holes, and looks like getting worse - is on a scale like I've never seen before.

                        Els looks the best bet at the moment.

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                          #13
                          Lee Westwood, world No.1 (ish) ahead of US Open

                          McDowell's three up with nine to play. It's not exactly in the bag, anything can happen yet, but if he could just hang on ...

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                            #14
                            Lee Westwood, world No.1 (ish) ahead of US Open

                            I've just seen Dustin Johnson's fluffed chipped shots. Rogin was being unkind on himself up there.

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                              #15
                              Lee Westwood, world No.1 (ish) ahead of US Open

                              I'm watching this and wondering who's likely to blow up next, and I'm suddenly aware that Gregory Havret could still win this. THAT would be a turn up for the books. But I'm still rooting for McDowell.

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                                #16
                                Lee Westwood, world No.1 (ish) ahead of US Open

                                Pars are the new birdies.

                                I should mention at this point that I have a fiver on McDowell at 66/1. But the fact that he has more holes to play means more shots dropped rather than opportunities for birdies. So at this point, I reckon Els will win.

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                                  #17
                                  Lee Westwood, world No.1 (ish) ahead of US Open

                                  Uh-oh. McDowell's going for pins in an attempt to stretch his lead, and has just dumped it into a bunker in the attempt.

                                  His caddy really needs to calm him down here.

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                                    #18
                                    Lee Westwood, world No.1 (ish) ahead of US Open

                                    Someone on the BBC commentary's just remembered Fred Daly!

                                    (1947, the last time an Ulsterman won a major golf championship - Harrington's won 3 in recent years, but he was, you know, one of "those" Irish fellows).

                                    This will excite the debate, if he wins, as to whether McDowell will be the first "British" player to win this since Tony Jacklin. BBC Sports Personality of the Year, anyone?

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                                      #19
                                      Lee Westwood, world No.1 (ish) ahead of US Open

                                      Sky mentioned Fred Daly too, and Max Faulkner.

                                      Is golf particularly keen on this? I remember in 1981, John Motson going on about Bert Turner being the last man to score at both ends in a cup final.

                                      The old BBC cricket lot, they were the best for this. Any lefthander would remind them of Arthur Morris.

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                                        #20
                                        Lee Westwood, world No.1 (ish) ahead of US Open

                                        Golf's MAD about its history, probably more than any other sport apart from cricket.

                                        It's probably to do with the fact that most club-level players are, themselves, about 55 (like most village club cricketers).

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                                          #21
                                          Lee Westwood, world No.1 (ish) ahead of US Open

                                          Has Arnaud Massey been mentioned yet?

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                                            #22
                                            Lee Westwood, world No.1 (ish) ahead of US Open

                                            Yes, just then.

                                            McDowell's going to be 2 up with 2 to play, isn't he?

                                            Come on, Graeme.

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                                              #23
                                              Lee Westwood, world No.1 (ish) ahead of US Open

                                              Oh, arse. That could be a double-bogey right there, out of that bunker.

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                                                #24
                                                Lee Westwood, world No.1 (ish) ahead of US Open

                                                It's Havret or McDowell now.

                                                Sorry for Johnson, who's turned into this year's Bobby Clampett. But at least there's going to be a European winner.

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                                                  #25
                                                  Lee Westwood, world No.1 (ish) ahead of US Open

                                                  Catherine Lacoste winning the US Women's Open in 1967 was a new bit of history on me.

                                                  McDowell should do it now.

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