Lee Westwood contrived to overshadow the race for the Volvo Order of Merit title when he slipped effortlessly into the lead after the first round of the Telefonica Open de Madrid at Club de Campo.
Seemingly rejuvenated by a sterling performance in The Ryder Cup last month, Westwood made a mockery of his 79th position on the Volvo Order of Merit with a flawless seven under par 64 which left him in front of the two main challengers for the Harry Vardon Trophy, Retief Goosen and Padraig Harrington.
Westwood goes into the second round leading by a stroke from Harrington, Brian Davis of England and Dutchman Maarten Lafeber with Goosen, the reigning European Number One, among a group of five players on 66, two off the pace.
Since winning the 2000 Volvo Order of Merit, Westwood’s career has spiralled dramatically, but the Worksop player never lost faith in himself - and nor did European Ryder Cup Captain, Sam Torrance, who paired him with the ebulliant Sergio Garcia at The De Vere Belfry.
The combination was instantly successful and Westwood drew on the confidence gathered during that unforgettable week to shoot seven birdies at Club de Campo, including a tap-in at the 17th which secured the outright lead.
“It’s been a long time since I shot a 64” revealed Westwood afterwards. “My lowest round this season has been 67 and I think this is my lowest score for two years, so it’s very satisfying. I’ve worked hard for it.”
While Harrington’s birdie attempt at the last to share the lead drifted just wide of the hole, Westwood was describing how his season has begun to turn around. He said: “My confidence went up after the Ryder Cup and I played pretty well at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns the following week.
“I suppose I had a little bit of Ryder Cup-it is but I’ve worked very hard at home for the last two weeks and I feel it’s all coming together. I was looking forward to playing this week and got here early on Tuesday to prepare well. Even in the Pro-Am I felt ‘up’ for it and made eight or nine birdies.
“I’ve been working hard for the last two years but golf is a strange game. Sometimes you just need to find the key and the confidence can come back as quickly as it left”.
Harrington, currently third behind Goosen and the absent Ernie Els in the Volvo Order of Merit – albeit by a matter of €54,029 – made six birdies, including three in a row from the 10th, to chase Westwood for a place at the head of the leaderboard, but was unable to birdie any of the last three holes.
Goosen’s birdies came in pairs on the course where he edged out Steve Webster in a play-off 12 months ago to clinch his first Volvo Order of Merit title. The South African doubled up at the third and fourth, then again at the ninth and tenth then finally at the 13th and 14th, while his only mistake was a dropped shot at the eighth.
Former champion Seve Ballesteros withdrew from the tournament just before he was due to tee off following the death of his 83 year old mother. Carmen Sota died in her sleep at her home in Pedrena, 16 years after the death of her husband, Baldomero, with whom she had four golf professional sons – Baldomero, Manuel, Vicente and Severiano.
He had been due to play with Harrington and Andrew Coltart, but his place was taken by Australian Peter Fowler.
