PGA Championship: Free mind helps Lee Westwood play himself into contention

LEE Westwood has found it difficult to maintain his new, light-hearted approach to the majors but his tactics have so far propelled him into contention at this week's PGA Championship.

England's world No 2 recently began working with leading sports psychologist Bob Rotella on making his mind-set much freer as he continues his bid to win a long-awaited first majore title. "It's hard," Westwood said after carding a two-under-par 68 in yesterday's second round at Atlanta Athletic Club. "It's difficult to try your hardest and not care about the results. They contradict one another."

In the build-up to this week's championship, Westwood had said of his new strategy for golf's four elite events: "I am trying to play the tournament like I don't care really."

If any proof was needed that Westwood's revamped approach was working, it came on his front nine when he immediately recovered from consecutive bogeys with a pair of birdies. "After bogeying two and three, I came back with birdies on four and five. Maybe with the 'trying-too-hard' me I would have bogeyed the next after that," the Englishman said with a grin. But I'm breezing around out there and trying to smile whenever I can and not really worry about what's going on too much."

Westwood, twice a runner-up in major championships and four times a third-place finisher, was overall happy with his form yesterday as he mixed six birdies with four bogeys on a fast-running, sun-baked layout.

"I played nicely," the 38-year-old Englishman said after posting a one-under total of 139. "I played well yesterday and wanted to go out today and get in the red as soon as possible.

"Hitting it in the water at the second hole didn't really help that, but I just got drawn by the flag and played too much at the pin. But then I birdied the next two holes to get back to even par and just played solidly all day really. I'm pleased with the way I played."

Westwood said he had predicted a winning total of six under on the eve of the tournament and he liked the way he was stealthily clawing his way into contention.

"I'm sort of cruising into position," he said. "My 71 yesterday was by no means out of it and then I wanted to shoot something in the 60s today, hopefully to try to get into the red and be in a good position for tomorrow."

Yesterday's second round unfolded very slowly in sweltering Georgian heat and humidity, and that suited Westwood to a tee. "Last thing I wanted to do out there was move quicker," he said, sparking widespread laughter.