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Lee Westwood boosts Ryder Cup chances

Lee Westwood, keen to earn a Ryder Cup wildcard, climbed out of his sick bed to fire a four-under-par 68 in the first round of the BMW International Open that left him one stroke off the lead on Thursday.

Westwood, suffering from tonsilitis and a fever, was among a group of eight players one shot behind British trio David Howell, Gary Evans and Garry Houston and Swede Martin Erlandsson.

Having spoken to Cup captain Ian Woosnam earlier in the week, Westwood felt he needed to show willing to be considered for one of the skipper's two wildcard picks he will announce on Sunday after the 10 automatic spots have been decided.

"My legs started to go at the end of the round, they felt like jelly, and my head was spinning," said the Englishman, who has no chance of an automatic spot in the team.

"If it wasn't Ryder Cup qualifying, I'd be in bed in England.

"Woosie asked me to play if I could. My technique is improving all the time and that got me through today."

Trying to play on both sides of the Atlantic this season have caused his Ryder Cup qualifying problems, Westwood said.

He added that the death of his grandmother, which contributed to seven successive missed cuts after the U.S. Masters, and worries over his good friend Darren Clarke's late wife Heather had also affected him.

While Westwood and Clarke are being tipped as favourites for Woosnam's wildcards, BMW champion Howell has no such worries, having qualified a long time ago for next month's Ryder Cup in Ireland.

"Obviously with the big one (Ryder Cup) not far away, I'm delighted with today," said Howell, who leads the order of merit and is chasing his third win of the season.

Howell played alongside Luke Donald (68), another Englishman certain of a Cup appearance.

Donald is in good form, having finished tied for third in the recent U.S. PGA Championship and tied for eighth in last week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

Woosnam completed the threesome but lagged way behind Howell and Donald, slumping to a 76.