Westwood has mind to succeed

PHILIP REIDon Lee Westwood's work with mind guru Bob Rotella in his quest to crack the Major deficit on his CV

THE ONE thing missing from Lee Westwood’s career CV is a Major title, and the Englishman – who has enjoyed two spells as world number one but, these days, lies second in the rankings behind compatriot Luke Donald – has finally bitten the bullet and employed a sports psychologist to help get him over the line in the USPGA Championship.

Dr Bob Rotella, best-selling author and the man credited with freeing Darren Clarke’s mind in his win in the British Open, has become Westwood’s mind coach.

Of his reluctance in the past to employ the services of a mind guru, Westwood – with a string of near-misses in the Majors in recent years, including runner-up finishes in last year’s US Masters and British Open championships – said, “Was I suspicious of psychologists? No, just that I was mentally strong . . . I haven’t really worked with a psychologist at all throughout my career. So, it just made sense to go consult somebody on it.”

Now, of his change of mind, Westwood explained: “Over time you kind of lose sight of certain things and you can’t put your finger on what you’re doing with regard to the mental side of the game . . . you just need, you know, jogging (of the mind) a bit, so it made sense to go and see Bob. He’s got all the letters after his name, so I figured he was the best.”

In fairness to Westwood, he hasn’t been afraid to embrace change in his quest to become the best player he can be. Once in such a slump that he fell to as low as 266th back in 2002, Westwood – the man who ended Tiger Woods’s 281-week streak at number one last October – has lost stones in a physical regime overseen by one-time Rugby League fitness trainer Steve McGregor (who now also works with Rory McIlroy) and can now deadlift 354 pounds when weightlifting.

Also, he has improved his short game in working with former USPGA champion Dave Stockton.

“Putting would be top of the priority list with regard to room for improvement,” explained Westwood of why he started working with Stockton, adding: “Dave Stockton? I liked what I heard about him, how feel-orientated he was.”

What it all means is Westwood has come into the USPGA with as relaxed an attitude as ever before. Indeed, he made the comparison of watching his 10-year-old son Sam putting during the annual par three contest at Augusta National and how he wanted to get that same sense of freedom with the putter in hand.

“He wasn’t thinking about whether it was square or taking it back far enough. That’s just how kids do it and that’s the mentality I am trying to get back into my golf, just kind of free-wheeling. I’ve done all the hard work, done it for 20 years. It’s time to just relax and let it flow.”

As he described his new putting set-up, “you’ll see a routine that I’m comfortable with, you’ll see me not trying.”

Westwood’s close calls in the Majors of recent years – dating back to a third-place finish in the 2008 US Open after which he finished third in the 2009 British Open and then took those two runner-up finishes last year – have served to heighten his desire for a win. So far this season, his best-place finish was third behind runaway winner Rory McIlroy in the US Open at Congressional, but a missed cut in the British Open proved a defining moment which resulted in him consulting putting guru Stockton and mind guru Rotella.

The common trend in his Masters performance – where he ultimately finished 11th – and the missed cut at the British Open was his putting. “When I start rolling a few putts in, then I think it will be a different story,” said an upbeat and relaxed Westwood.