Westwood's reputation growing

Lee Westwood possesses the outer demeanour of a comedian, and the inner strength of a judge unafraid to take control of his own destiny. Yesterday, the 25year-old player grasped the English Open title at Hanbury Manor - with a performance of calm self-assurance - to claim back-to-back victories on the European Tour and then made the journey down the M25 for a Concorde flight to New York in search of more pieces of silver.

In the space of seven days, Westwood has pocketed £291,670 after his wins in the TPC of Europe in Hamburg and yesterday's equally impressive success in rural Hertfordshire, north of London. "Anyone got a pen?" enquired Westwood afterwards, anxious to tick off his name at the top of the European Tour money list for the first time. Indeed, the win was also notable for the fact that it was his first tour win on British soil, something of a surprise given his tendency to win in virtually every corner of the globe.

"It's lovely to see my name at the top of the Order of Merit for the first time and to have won in Britain. That's another two objectives I can tick off my list," said Westwood, who shot a final round 68 for 17-under-par 271 and a two-shot winning margin over joint-runners up Greg Chalmers and Olle Karlsson.

Westwood has a habit of making targets, and meeting them. His next goal is to win a major. "I think I'm playing well enough to win a major," insisted Westwood. In fact, his last 10 rounds have been in the 60s and he is a mind-blowing 40 under par for his last two tournaments. "I've got a lot to smile about, life couldn't be better."

Last night, Westwood flew off to the United States in search of that new goal. Accompanied by Darren Clarke, Westwood flew out on Concorde to New York, promising to crack out a couple of bottles of champagne, and will prepare for the US Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco next week by playing in the Buick Classic at Westchester this week.

"I won't treat the Buick as practice. I just can't do that. You're either there to win it, or you shouldn't be there," said Westwood.

Yesterday's was his ninth win as a professional, following victories in many parts of the world - Sweden, Malaysia, Japan, Spain, Australia, Germany and the United States - but the hunger to move on to even greater things continues to eat away in him. Even when Greg Chalmers, whose course record 61 on Saturday propelled him through the field, started off with three straight birdies in the final round to move two shots clear, Westwood never panicked. "I still felt in control," he insisted, perhaps testament to the level of performance he has managed to attain.

Still, Westwood was just one shot clear of the left-handed Australian as they stood on the 16th tee-box. There, Westwood played arguably his only loose shot of the day, pulling a seven-iron into the crowd some 30 yards left of the green. However, he showed his resolve by pitching to 15 feet and making the putt so save par. A rattled Chalmers proceeded to bogey.

"I was beaten by a better player, it is as simple as that," admitted Chalmers later. "He holed the important putts and showed what a tremendous competitor he is."

Westwood, meanwhile, joked that he had purchased a Rolex watch only last Tuesday "as a reward for my win in Hamburg." He said: "I'd won eight times before here (in Hanbury Manor) and never got a watch. So, what did they give me here? An Omega watch, the type that James Bond wears, or so I'm told. I'll probably wear both of them. It will probably balance me up."

And, showing that he is in no danger of picking up a big head despite his upwardly mobile graph in the golfing world and the trappings of that success, Westwood added: "I've a bone to pick with whoever said my grandma is 90, she's only 76 and she's getting a terrible ribbing off the other punters down the bookies."

Meanwhile, his America-bound travelling companion Clarke, like the rest of the Irish, failed to ignite and had to settle for places down the field, with Christy O'Connor Jnr emerging as top Irish player.

Although just two months shy of his 50th birthday and a date on the Seniors' Tour - ultimately in the United States - O'Connor Jnr demonstrated, yet again, a capacity to mix it with the young guns by firing a final round 71 for eight under par 280.

"All in all I have to be happy," remarked O'Connor, who has survived the cut just twice in six tournament outings so far this season. "When you're not up there, challenging consistently, it makes things that little bit harder."

O'Connor will play in the Compaq European Grand Prix in Slaley Hall, in the north of England, this week (a course where he was once their touring professional) but, after that, his appearances could be limited to the Murphy's Irish Open, the Dutch Open and finally the Smurfit European Open. "I might try to get into the French Open too, otherwise I'll be left with a long gap to the Irish, but after the European Open, it'll be goodbye and hello to the seniors," he said.

Overall, however, the Irish challenge didn't really gain any momentum and there was never any danger of one of the sextet bounding up onto the winner's rostrum. Still, there was considerable merit in O'Connor's tied-tenth finish which earned him prize-money of £11,650, while Padraig Harrington and Philip Walton both finished with 70s for five under par 283 and had reason to be content with their respective games. Eamonn Darcy closed off with a 71 for three under par 285, Ronan Rafferty finished with 73 for 286, and Clarke shot a 68 for 287.

Harrington, indeed, left the gates of the former nunnery, which has been transformed into a fine golfing facility, in upbeat mood. "I plan a few quiet days at home," said Harrington, opting for a relaxed build-up to the season's second major, the US Open next week. The Dubliner will actually fly to San Francisco on Thursday, but won't visit the Olympic club until next Sunday.

"I normally only play two practice rounds, and I don't see why I should change that this time," he said. "Instead, I'll spend a lot of time chipping and putting. My chipping, which was causing me some problems, has started to come around and I'm heading out there with more confidence."

He'd only one blemish in yesterday's final round, a bogey at the last where he pushed his tee shot to the right and his approach to the green was blocked out by one of the majestic oak trees that line the back nine. "I was happy enough until the last," remarked Harrington, who had grabbed birdies at the third, 12th and 17th to ensure his third sub-par round of the tournament. Like Westwood, he's hoping to add to his pedigree in the US over the coming weeks.