Another milestone for Westwood

Lee Westwood is a champion who likes the good life. Less than half-an-hour since the final putt has fallen, and Westwood - pint of stout in hand and with the helicopter blades whirring outside in readiness to whisk him across the Irish Sea to his home in the English midlands - is the picture of a man at ease with himself after a successful defence of his Smurfit European Open title.

Yet, jocular facade aside, this is a player who means business. Awesome and all as yesterday's final round performance was in maintaining a remarkable recent run that has delivered three titles in six tournaments, Westwood was remarking that "there is big room for improvement . . . there would want to be, if I am to get to world number one!" That's the bottom line.

Ironically, a day before Tiger Woods, the undisputed king of golf, was due to fly into Ireland, here was a man - with a helicopter waiting to take him out of the country - stating his intent. While a final round 66 for 12-under-par 276 gave Westwood a one stroke winning margin over Argentina's Angel Cabrera, the player was already looking at the big picture. He wants to become an even better player. And, on yesterday's display, that's saying something.

Westwood's win was the 21st of his career worldwide and his 12th on the PGA European Tour. It brought his career earnings over the £4 million mark and his take for the season to date to £978,663 (already ahead of his earnings for all of last season). It also took him to within £58,043 of leader Darren Clarke in the Order of Merit race. "I was fifty-fifty this week between winning the tournament and doing it for Order of Merit purposes," said Westwood. So, in effect, the win killed two birds with one stone.

The win also provided a milestone for him in that it was his first successful defence on the European Tour. "I've triple defended the Taiheyo Masters (in Japan) and I'd like to come back next year and do it again or, as the Americans say, `three-peat'. That would be nice."

Eleven months ago, Westwood came from seven shots behind Clarke to snatch the title. This time round, his gameplan was to get off to a quick start and he did with four birdies in the opening six holes. So, is he a better player now that last year? "Yes. My all-round game is much better, a lot tidier, sharper. I'm attacking flags more and I know more about my swing . . . but there is plenty more to learn, or I won't be getting to number one."

But Westwood won't be changing his lifestyle to take over from Woods. Sipping from his pint, he replied: "There are different ways to play this game as people have shown over the years. Everyone's caught up in the fact that you've got to be an athlete. If I had wanted to be an athlete, I would have taken up 400 metres running. I don't like it when people call me an athlete. I'm a professional golfer."

Interestingly, Westwood had an observation to make about the lay-out of the course which was changed, for tournament purposes, to the way that it will be for the 2005 Ryder Cup. Initially doubtful that the change was a good one, he admitted that playing them under pressure yesterday had forced a change of mind. "When it came down to the crunch, the holes 15-16-17-18 were a lot, lot harder than playing it the other way round. There were so many heart in mouth shots," he said.