Old dog Westwood shows young pups a thing or two

THE JOURNEY along the hard road may have gobbled up just half of the required distance; but, so far at least, the old dog has had the edge over the young pup.

Yesterday, as the Dubai World Championship on The Earth course reached its midway point, Lee Westwood – in his 16th year on tour and with the type of experience only time allows you to acquire – moved into the driving seat on two fronts, as the tournament leader and consequently in the quest for the Order of Merit title.

If, in these economically stricken times, the pot of gold on offer – €830,675 to the tournament winner and €1 million bonus money to whoever tops the Race to Dubai standings – would most likely make for quivering nerves for most mortals, Westwood has seemed totally unaffected. A second round 69 for 135, nine under, left the Englishman in a position of strength, two shots clear of a chasing pack of six players, heading into the weekend.

“I’m in as much control of my game as I’ve been for quite a while,” observed Westwood.

“I feel very calm and happy with myself, all parts of my game feel solid. I’m confident standing over the ball, it feels good. I enjoy times like this.”

That Rory McIlroy, the leader of the Order of Merit with just this remaining tournament left to count in determining the recipient of the Harry Vardon trophy, was among the sextet in pursuit of Westwood reaffirmed that the Ulsterman, in spite of his comparative youth, is not one for letting go. He is made for this scenario.

Yesterday, McIlroy had a strange old round with nines that were polar opposites: on the front nine, he walked with a swagger and used his putter like a magic wand in reeling off three birdies and an eagle; on the homeward run, the 20-year-old lumbered to a sequence of seven pars and two bogeys, both three putts, and eventually signed for a 69, for 137, which left him in tied-second alongside Pádraig Harrington, Louis Oosthuizen, Ross McGowan, Robert Allenby and Camilo Villegas.

In terms of the duel, if that is what it is for the Order of Merit between Westwood and McIlroy, the back nine yesterday was pivotal. Whereas McIlroy covered that homeward journey in 38 strokes, Westwood – who hadn’t managed a birdie since the second hole – took 34 strokes, finishing with birdies on two of the last three holes (the 16th and 18th).

“I just kept grinding it out, it was a case of patience being a virtue and all good things coming to those who wait . . . some days you go out there and no matter how good a shot you hit, it comes up 30 feet long or 30 feet short. Like I said, you just have to be patient,” said Westwood.

McIlroy may be playing catch-up in terms of experience on Westwood, but he too knows the virtue of patience.

Sure, there were signs when McIlroy got frustrated with what was unfolding on the back nine: on the 14th, he suffered a three-putt bogey (one of just four all day on a hole that played as the fourth easiest) and, then, after rescuing a poor drive on the 15th with a recovery shot from under a bush onto the green, he again suffered a three-putt bogey. But he never showed his angst.

“It’s very disappointing,” said McIlroy, “especially when they moved the tee up on 15, so it was a good chance for a birdie . . . but, you know, I’m sure I will make those shots up on the weekend.”

McIlroy’s move had come on the front, a productive stretch that yielded opening birdies on the first, second and ninth.

The piece de resistance, though, was an eagle on the par-five seventh where the northerner claimed an eagle with a three-iron approach of 231 yards to 18 inches. When he rolled in a 10-footer for birdie on the ninth, he found himself alone in the lead.

However, those dropped shots by McIlroy on the run home, combined with Westwood’s birdies, transformed the appearance of the leaderboard. Thing is, he remains in the thick of the hunt; and, even if he hasn’t accumulated Westwood’s experience, McIlroy knows what is required to get the job done.

As McIlroy put it after his round, “I know that you have to go out and win it. There’s no point in trying to make pars because no one is going to give it to you. You’ve got to go out and you’ve got to keep pushing, you’ve got to try and make birdies and to post the best score possible.”

LEADERBOARD

135 - Lee Westwood 66 69

137 - Rory McIlroy 68 69, Robert Allenby (Aus) 65 72, Camilo Villegas (Col) 66 71, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 71 66, Pádraig Harrington 68 69, Ross McGowan 71 66

138 Thomas Aiken (Rsa) 68 70, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 71 67, Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa) 71 67.

Golf: page 5