Lee Westwood enjoyed one his best days on a golf course in two years on Friday as he and partner Sergio Garcia won their first two matches at the 34th Ryder Cup. Westwood, a career-high four in the world at the end of 2000, had slumped to a lowly 148 before this week's showdown at The Belfry but he shone for Europe as they ended the first day with a lead of 4-1/2 points to 3-1/2 over the U.S.
He and Garcia combined perfectly to beat David Duval and Davis Love 4 & 3 in the morning fourballs and then came back from one down with nine holes left against Tiger Woods and Mark Calcavecchia to win the afternoon foursomes 2 & 1. "It's been a fantastic experience today," said the 29-year-old Westwood, who has not won since the 2000 Belgacom Open. "I've been struggling all season and it's been really difficult for me to get morale going as well as momentum.
"I hadn't played in a Ryder Cup in England and, as an Englishman, I had some emotional moments out there. But the crowd here have been really great. The buzz has been spectacular - I've never seen anything like it in the previous two Ryder Cups I've played.
"The first tee shot of the day was as nerve-wracking as it could be but, overall, it was a fantastic morning's work and a great team performance. We then played really solid in the afternoon."
Filed by Sinéad Kissane
