EUROPEAN NUMBER one Lee Westwood – winner of last year’s European Tour Order of Merit title and fourth in the official world rankings – will renew a long-standing relationship with the 3 Irish Open when he returns to the tournament at Killarney on July 29th-August 1st, where he will hope to make it a case of 13th time lucky.

Since making his debut in the event back in 1994, Westwood – who narrowly missed out on a maiden major when finishing runner-up to Phil Mickelson in the US Masters at Augusta National earlier this month – has consistently supported the Irish Open, one of the flagship events on the tour, but has never managed to win the title. He was runner-up to Colin Montgomerie at Druids Glen in 1997, one of five top-10 finishes he has recorded.

Westwood, who has 20 career wins on the PGA European Tour, including back-to-back titles in the European Open in 1999 and 2000 when that tournament was staged at The K Club, has revived his career in quite spectacular fashion since slumping to a low of 246th in 2002. The Englishman has come back stronger than ever, as epitomised by the manner of his season-ending win in the Dubai World Championship last year which clinched him a second Harry Vardon Trophy.

In confirming his participation in the Irish Open – which takes place the week before the Bridgestone Invitational in Akron and a fortnight before the season’s last major, the USPGA at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin – Westwood yesterday claimed he was “in great form and playing some of the best golf of my career, so hopefully that will continue throughout the remainder of the season”.

He added: “I’ve won the European Open and obviously (played in) the Ryder Cup in Ireland (in 2006), so it would be fantastic to add Ireland’s national Open to that list.”

Robert Finnegan, of sponsors 3, welcomed Westwood’s commitment to the €3 million tournament. “Lee is one of the top golfers in the world and to have him playing in Killarney shows the calibre of tournament professional the 3 Irish Open is attracting,” said Finnegan, while the European Tour’s chief executive George O’Grady prophesied the golfer could yet arrive in the south-west as a major winner. “Only an inspired and, at times, mesmerising Phil Mickelson stopped Lee winning at Augusta . . . it would surprise no one if he arrives at the 3 Irish Open as a major champion.”