‘No Hangover From Last Week’: Lee Westwood Shows Positive Signs at 2021 Players Championship

Published 03/13/2021, 9:38 AM EST

Englishman Lee Westwood narrowly missed out on winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week but is closing on a victory at The Players Championship. The 47-year-old holds a one-stroke lead after two rounds at TPC Sawgrass and has a positive mindset ahead of the two crucial rounds.

Westwood put up a stunning performance at Bay Hill through four rounds, only to finish second to Bryson DeChambeau. It also marked Westwood’s best-ever finish at the prestigious Arnold Plamer Invitational, and the European has only taken the positives from his agonizing loss.

“Last week I obviously played well under pressure again, and this week I’ve carried it on,” Westwood mentioned after his second-round performance at The Players Championship.

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Last week was a thrilling ride for 47-year-old Lee Westwood. He led DeChambeau by one stroke heading into the fourth round, but succumbed to pressure and finished with a final-round score of 73.

Lee Westwood has shrugged off the negativity to stay focused at The Players

Westwood completed a 6-under 66 during Round 2 at The Players Championship. He was the only player besides Doug Ghim to finish the round with a bogey-free score. Such was the consistency the former World No 1 displayed throughout 18 holes.

“The nice thing for me about this week is not letting last week affect me in a negative way. I’ve regrouped. I’ve still got the memories of last week, of playing well and hitting good shots when I needed to, but there’s no hangover from last week. It’s a feel-good experience for me this week, and I’ve carried that into the first two rounds,” Westwood said.

This is indeed the right outlook to have when you’re leading the tournament upon the conclusion of two rounds. The job is not done yet, but Westwood looks to be the favorite to clinch the staggering $2.7 million prize money.

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Westwood devised a wonderful birdie in the par-5 second hole in the second round which expanded his confidence levels. He made similar birdie shots at the par-3 third hole and the par-4 fourth with his excellent putting skills.

Westwood’s career-best performance at TPC Sawgrass was a fourth-place finish, but the 25-time European Tour winner is not focused on the outcomes. He’s all about putting in displays similar to his bogey-free round on Friday.

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Lee Westwood is now paired with compatriot Matthew Fitzpatrick for the final two rounds. The latter is closely trailing Westwood by just one stroke, but only time will tell which Englishman will hold his nerves to secure the mammoth prize money!

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Arjun Athreya is a senior writer at Essentially Sports and has been contributing since early 2020. Having developed an avid interest in sports at an early age, he pursued a Journalism degree and graduated from Madras Christian College. Arjun manages the Golf division and its content, and primarily covers news pertaining to the NBA as well.

‘No Hangover From Last Week’: Lee Westwood Shows Positive Signs at 2021 Players Championship

Lee Westwood has shrugged off the negativity to stay focused at The Players

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