Lee Westwood press conference

JULIUS MASON: Good morning again, ladies and gentlemen. Lee Westwood is joining us at Valhalla Golf Club at the 82nd PGA Championship.

Welcome, Lee, if you wouldn't mind some opening thoughts, and we will go to questions.

LEE WESTWOOD: Well, I have only played nine holes so far, but the front nine was a pretty good test. Got to play the back nine today, try not to overdo my practice for this tournament, which I normally do when I am in America

A. And playing okay, so we will see how it goes from there.

JULIUS MASON: Beautiful. Questions, folks.

Q. Did you say that you were not going to overdo it because you have overdone it here in the past?

LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah. I love questions like that. One-word answers.

Q. What do you tend to overdo over here then?

LEE WESTWOOD: Just the whole thing. The facilities are so good, you know, the range and the chipping green and practice green are so good that it makes you want to practice. That is not really the way to go about things. You tend to be worn out before the tournament gets here, so I am just going to try and -- if I was playing in Europe in a tournament, I'd turn up Wednesday morning and just play the Pro-Am.

So, I am going to try and treat it a little bit more relaxed the first -- you know, you have to get here early to get over the jet lag, but I am going to try and treat it more relaxed for the first three days I am here.

Q. Have you put pressure on yourself over here to try and do well?

LEE WESTWOOD: No. No.

Q. Was Medinah last year a case in point? You got yourself in a good position there; and just talk about last year, then both preparation and what happened during the week itself?

LEE WESTWOOD: Yeah, I played well last year, got 6-under after two rounds, I think. I don't really remember. I got dehydrated on Saturday, had a bad day. Struggled on Sunday, felt the effects still, but I think I got there on a Monday; I can't remember. I think I played the week before, the British Masters. I think it was the British Masters. What was the week before? I did not play the week before. Maybe I got there on a Sunday. I know I had a lot of practice rounds. You learn by your experiences.

Q. I know you said you only played nine holes so far, but do you think the course favors the American players or Europeans players, or does it not really matter?

LEE WESTWOOD: I don't think it really matters either way. I think, you know, players from all over the world are so good now that it doesn't really matter where you are playing. The best player will still win.

Q. Talk about the groove that you seem to be in right now, the streak you are on and how you like your chances coming to this tournament?

LEE WESTWOOD: I have been playing pretty good. I have had a good set of results since the Deutsche Bank, first, second, fourth, fifth, first, first, 60-something, third, first; so, yeah, I have been playing pretty good.

Hopefully, I can keep that form going and hopefully play a little bit better this week than I have been doing because there is no doubt about it you certainly got to play well to win major championships. Hopefully I can get my game in shape enough come Thursday to win the tournament.

Q. Just a follow-up to that, what do you like about your game? What phases of it really are you looking right now?

LEE WESTWOOD: Short game is fairly strong at the moment. Obviously, putting okay. I am not hitting too many bad shots. My destructive shots are not going far, which is really what you need. Everybody can stand out there and hit one close now and again; it is just a case of not hitting it way off-line when you do hit a bad one and taking double.

Q. Two-part question: First you played the front nine you played No. 7 your thoughts about No. 7, the dual fairway and the second part about that, how important is this week to take advantage of the par 5s, for a lot of guys it looks like they can reach in two?

Lee Westwood gives his press conference on Tuesday. Allsport.

LEE WESTWOOD: I like the 7th hole. I think it is a good hole, gives you choices. It rewards aggression off the tee. I can't see anybody getting up if they go down the right, but chances are you -- it's a wider fairway, you know, chances are you probably make four, 5s and going down the right-hand side or two 4s and two 5s, but you are going to take bogey, get out of the equation. Then if you go down the left-hand side, there is going to be a real possibility. You are going to have a birdie chance anywhere. It's not a real big green. Left-hand side, you can get up in two and you will have an eagle chance. The par 5s are always fairly critical, no matter what tournament it is. I have only played two of them, but they were both reachable, if you went down the left-hand side obviously and the second was driver, 4-iron or driver 5-iron.

Q. There is obviously some big names that have never won a major. You have got plenty years left. But some of the other guys, too. But how important it is when a player evaluates his career to have at least won one major?

LEE WESTWOOD: Well, I certainly feel if I sat down at the end of my career, if there wasn't a major there, there would be something missing. But you know, for some people it is -- it is one of those things that as hard as you try, it doesn't seem to happen. You just have to have a little bit of luck at the right times. Sometimes if you don't have that then you finish second. Then you -- in 50 years' time, nobody remembers who finished second in majors. So yeah, I'd like to say I had won a major when I finish; doesn't really matter which one. I'd like to say I had won a few, but one would be a good start.

Q. If I may, another two-part question. First of all, how are you playing coming into this championship? You are hot when you look at your stats and the putting is going to be very -- the key here. And also, you have played Nicklaus courses before. How do they suit your game?

LEE WESTWOOD: Well, I will answer the second part of your two-part question first. (Inaudible) I think I have done well around Nicklaus courses before. I think the first part of your question, my results sort of speak for themselves. I think you don't win tournaments playing badly. So, I'd say I am playing pretty good at the moment.

Q. Going back to Medinah last year and the problems with the heat and all, is that a big concern for you at all this week? Are you doing anything besides practicing less? Are you going to take any other precautions with the hot weather expected?

LEE WESTWOOD: No, not really. I have learned from last year, I am going to try and drink more, not just water, though, you know, lots of isotonic drinks. That is about all you can do really just drink plenty. Actually, amazing how much you have to drink to sort of not feel ill.

Q. Earlier, Darren was in here and he said that he believed Woods would win two out of every four majors each year. Do you give him those odds?

LEE WESTWOOD: Difficult one. He might do. He might not win any. Over these last two performances, the majors, I'd say, yeah, at least two. But golf is a funny game. Just when you think you have got it, it tends to do something to you. I am not really worried too much about whether he wins two or not. That still leaves two for the rest of us. Not that I think he is going to win two every year.

Q. Can you recall the effects of that dehydration?

LEE WESTWOOD: Can I recall the effects? Well, I didn't feel particularly well. It just takes all the stuff out of you, knocks you out; not particularly pleasant experience. You feel dizzy and it is very difficult to concentrate, which is the main thing about major championships - you have got to concentrate, you know, more than you really would normally.

Q. There was a lot of talk last week at the Buick about how the gallery is affecting other galleries when they are either in a pairing with Tiger Woods or playing nearby. How does that affect you when you are on the course, especially last year on at the PGA, how did it affect you?

LEE WESTWOOD: No doubt about it. They are only there to watch one person and they don't really care about the other person, but, you know, if you are not struggling mentally, then it shouldn't bother you. And chances are you are going to be playing your shot in first; so, they shouldn't move off after he has played in effect too unless it is on a par 3.

Q. Woody Austin said last week that he thinks that huge gallery gives Woods an enormous advantage because they are there to pump him up and he really doesn't ever get down after hitting a bad shot. Do you agree with that? Does that -- does having a gallery that big around you all the time actually help him, give him an advantage?

LEE WESTWOOD: I'd be very surprised if he actually knew there was a big gallery there, to be honest. I think, you know, mentally he is that strong; that I don't think he sees anything but the ball and the hole, or the ball and the flag. I don't think he'd know whether there were five or 5,000 people watching him.

Q. Only a couple of months ago, I saw quotes from you expressing some doubt about your game, and since then, you have really taken off. What it is that has clicked since May?

LEE WESTWOOD: Just working on the basics again. Not trying to get too technical with the game. It helped to get what I was thinking off my chest and not be all stirred up inside. That is about it, really.

Q. Talk about how difficult, how frustrating it is for the players -- for golfers to play their heart out, to play their hardest and to come in behind Tiger week after week?

LEE WESTWOOD: It is not that frustrating, really. I don't find it frustrating. He is a guy that has set the new standards, and if you are frustrated, then you are never going to get up to those standards. It just make -- well, I can't speak for everybody else.

It makes me more determined to get up to that level. I am always quite impressed when he wins tournaments by ten shots or 15 shots. Didn't frustrate me when he won the U.S. Open. You have to sit down and sort of think about what you are not doing properly, or not doing as well as him and work on those things. There is no point in getting frustrating. Frustration never leads to anything other than more frustration.

JULIUS MASON: Questions? Questions twice.

LEE WESTWOOD: Sold.

JULIUS MASON: Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

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