European No 1 Lee Westwood would 'love to play again' in Ryder Cup

Lee Westwood, European golf’s top dog again at the age of 47, is hoping for one last hurrah as a player in the Ryder Cup before, almost certainly, serving as a captain in the biennial event.
Lee Westwood celebrates with the Race to Dubai Trophy after pipping Matt Fitzpatrick and Patrick Reed in the title battle following the season-ending DP World Tour Championship. Picture: Ross Kinnaird/Getty ImagesLee Westwood celebrates with the Race to Dubai Trophy after pipping Matt Fitzpatrick and Patrick Reed in the title battle following the season-ending DP World Tour Championship. Picture: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images
Lee Westwood celebrates with the Race to Dubai Trophy after pipping Matt Fitzpatrick and Patrick Reed in the title battle following the season-ending DP World Tour Championship. Picture: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

The Englishman made ten consecutive appearances against the Americans between 1997 and 2016, seven of which were on winning teams, and sits second to Nick Faldo in terms of matches played.

He then served as a vice captain for Thomas Bjorn in the 2018 win at Le Golf National in France, an appointment that was seen as a step towards Westwood leading Europe into battle in Italy, where the event will now be held in 2023.

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That is probably still the plan, but, instead of a second stint on the backroom team for Padraig Harrinton in next year’s rescheduled match at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, a return to a playing role is a distinct possibility for the former world No 1.

Westwood had already made a bright start in the qualifying race by winning the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in January before the points battle was frozen until next year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

That meant he missed out on a potential big points haul from finishing second to compatriot Matt Fitzpatrick in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, securing a third Order of Merit title in the process.

However, Westwood is heading into 2021 with a spring in his step and, though admitting he has one eye on that future captaincy, the chance to be in the heat of the battle one more time in a Ryder Cup is definitely in his sights.

“There’s obviously a lot less pressure watching the lads being vice captain and, at some point, I’m hoping the captaincy is offered,” he admitted after pipping both Fitzpatrick and Patrick Reed in a thrilling Race to Dubai title battle to add to his success in 2000 and 2009.

“But I would love to play again and, if I qualify for the team, then I'm clearly good enough, and that's the way I'm going to play it.“I can still turn up to the biggest tournaments and compete as I proved at the start of the year in Abu Dhabi; the US Open, where I bogeyed the last two holes and if I hadn't, I'd have finished fifth, and here.“I'm not going to say it's one of my goals for next year because you should never make Ryder Cup one of your goals. You should break it down to try and play well each tournament. But I could see it happening.”

Despite now being a six-time European Tour winner, Fitzpatrick has not yet played in a Ryder Cup, but is hoping a second DP World Tour Championship success can be the catalyst for him to also make the team to defend the trophy next September.

“I really hope it is,” said the 26-year-old Yorkshireman. “I thought that would be the case in 2016, but I had not a poor 2017 but not as good a 2017 as I'd liked.”As for Westwood’s hopes of returning as a player, Fitzpatrick added: “It's a no-brainer right now, isn't it. He's playing some brilliant golf, as we’ve seen again this week and he's competed plenty this year.”

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