Lee
Westwood withdraws from Masters
Lee Westwood,
who finished atop the European Tour's Order of Merit in 2000, withdrew
from the Masters to be with his wife Laurae for the birth of the
couple's first child.
Laurae Westwood
is expecting Saturday, when the third round is scheduled at Augusta
National.
Lee Westwood
won six tournaments in 2000 en route to ending Colin Montgomerie's
seven-year stranglehold on the top spot in Europe, but the 27-year-old
has yet to mount a serious challenge at a major.
"It's our first
child and babies are a higher priority than golf," Westwood, who
owns 15 career victories, said a month ago.
In 1999, Westwood
ended in a tie for sixth in the Masters -- highest finish ever in
the event. He missed the cut last year.
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