Westwood believes he can win it

Lee Westwood refuses to believe that this week's Masters has turned into a mission impossible for everybody except David Duval.

The 25-year-old from Worksop, fresh from a six-day break in the Bahamas, is as impressed as anyone by the American's blistering form entering the first major of the season at Augusta.

World number one Duval has won four times this year - including his last two tournaments - broken 60 and already pocketed more money than anybody in a whole season - over 2.5million US dollars (£1.5million).

But Westwood said on Tuesday: "I believe there are 10 players in the world capable of doing what he has done."

Having grabbed 10 victories around the world in the same 18-month period that Duval has won 11 times on the US Tour, Westwood clearly counts himself among them.

The bookmakers see the Masters as a two-horse between Duval and 1997 champion Tiger Woods.

But told that after Duval at 5-1 and Woods at 6-1, it was 20-1 bar, Westwood said: "That's good value. I would take the rest of the field and risk it.

"David Duval and Tiger Woods may be the best two players, but I don't think they are as far ahead as the world rankings indicate."

Europe's Player of the Year for 1998 added: "You have to try to keep up with whoever is playing the best.

"Anybody who wants to be the best has to keep up with the one setting the standard.

"I would not get dragged into comparing our records but I think I have a good record."

As for comparing their games, he added: "I lose out around the greens - I'm not as good as him at chipping and putting, but his irons may not be so good.

"It's no good having a flaw in your game, so I am working on it."

It was Westwood who arrived in Georgia 12 months ago on the back of victory - in his case in New Orleans.

But that was only his second visit to the Masters, and the combination of being tired from winning and not knowing enough about playing Augusta meant he was never in contention.

When finishing 24th on his debut and 44th last year, Westwood started his first round with a double bogey six.

Just to avoid that will make him feel he is off and running.

His other bad memory is the long 15th, where he was twice seen pitches roll back into the lake guarding the green.

"The problem I've always found is that I put so much spin on the ball. It's a tricky shot for me," he said.

The solution, of course, is to hit a long enough drive that he can go for it in two - but the hole is one of those changed from last year, and the removal of the mounds on the right of the fairway (they are now replaced by trees) means drives do not run as far.

Against that, Westwood feels more at ease in the awe-inspiring surroundings. "I'm more comfortable playing this tournament now," he said.

"There is nothing like playing somewhere competitively to give you the experience.

"Things tend to crop up that you have not covered in the practice rounds and you play holes different ways when there's a bit of pressure on.

"I watched it for so many years on television I was a little bit over-awed at first."

It was Jack Nicklaus' sixth triumph in 1986 that inspired Westwood to take up golf, just as it was Nicklaus winning in 1972 that caught Nick Faldo's attention.

Faldo, of course, has gone on to win three Masters and when he joined Westwood, his 1997 Ryder Cup partner, in practice yesterday, he gave some useful insights into how he prepares.

"I saw him practising shots from certain places that I hadn't practised before," said Westwood.

Reminded that Faldo and a number of the other Europeans have been playing poorly this season and he was looking the best of the bunch after finishing sixth in the Players' Championship nine days ago, he said: "I'm not trying to beat the rest of the Europeans - I'm trying to beat the rest of the field."