Westwood tipped to provide a test for Tiger

Published on Monday 6 July 2009 22:55

LEE Westwood has been identified by Gary Player as one of the golfers best equipped to challenge Tiger Woods for the Claret Jug when the Open returns to Turnberry next week.

The South African was impressed by the Englishman when he narrowly missed out on making the play-off for the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines.

"I like Westwood's chances," Player volunteered after being asked yesterday to nominate a rival to test the world No1 on the Ailsa. "He's knocking at the door in the majors and was unlucky, I felt, at the US Open last year.He's lost weight, drives the ball well and has a very nice attitude."

Although the Ryder Cup player lost a play-off to Martin Kaymer at the French Open on Sunday, Westwood's closing 65 gave him encouragement for both the Scottish Open, which starts at Loch Lomond on Thursday, and the Open. "It's a good time to start playing well," he said. "There are massive tournaments at this time of year."

Woods also sent a clear signal he's in good shape for Turnberry when he won the AT&T at Congressional, near Washington DC, on Sunday. It was the 79th victory of his professional career.

According to Player, Woods is the obvious favourite to follow in the footsteps of Tom Watson, Greg Norman and Nick Price as the champion golfer on the Ailsa.

"Tiger is so far superior to any other golfer," he said. "If he was also one of the best drivers, he'd win every tournament. He's a genius where he wins tournaments from and has one of the three best minds of any golfer who ever lived. (Jack Nicklaus and Ben Hogan are the others]. He's also an athlete, who wants to be the best and prepares to be the best. And he's the finest putter I've ever seen.

"If he has a weakness, it's his driving. You've only got to look at the stats. At Hoylake, he took irons off the tee and adjusted so quickly. He will arrive at Turnberry and sum up the golf course. He'll play the way he needs to play, whether that means using a 3 wood or a 2 iron or whatever. He knows how to put the pieces of the jigsaw together."

Absent from the rota for 15 years, Player believes a new generation of golfers will relish a first sighting of the Ailsa. "Turnberry is my favourite course in Scotland," he said. "I also love St Andrews and Muirfield and it's hard to separate them. I revelled in the magnificent landscape of Turnberry so close to the ocean."