“ ”It took a while to sink in but you

suddenly realise I’m the best in the

world at what I do. It’s amazing

leewestwood

PHOTOGRAPHY / racingphotos.com

04 INTERVIEW

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LW

CCoonnggrraattuullaattiioonnss,, yyoouu’’rree ooffffiicciiaallllyy

nnuummbbeerr 11 iinn tthhee wwoorrlldd.. WWhhaatt wwaass

iitt lliikkee ttoo ffiinnaallllyy ddeetthhrroonnee TTiiggeerr??

Well I was in Sainsbury’s at the timelooking for rubber gloves! My caddyrang me up and told me MartinKaymer hadn’t played the first 9 verywell and it looked like I was going tobe World Number 1. It took a whileto sink in but you suddenly realise I’m the best in the world at what I do.It’s amazing.

HHooww ddiidd yyoouu ppiicckk yyoouurrsseellff uupp

ffrroomm ddrrooppppiinngg ddoowwnn tthhee

rraannkkiinnggss ssoo ffaarr??

I just kept having to remind myselfthat I’d been good once and that itcouldn’t happen just like that. I wentback to basics, when you losesomething like that you’ll try anythingbut not to go back to where it wentwrong in the first place which is whereI really needed to go. If physically itstarts going, then it mentally startsgoing as well. It’s a catch 22, you needgood golf to have confidence and youneed confidence to play good golf.

studentracing.co.uk INTERVIEW 05

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WWhhaatt ffiirrsstt ggoott yyoouu iinntteerreesstteedd iinn ggoollff??

I started playing golf one summer reallywhen I was 12. I had half a set of golf clubsfrom the Christmas before and my Dad andI decided to go and play some golf!

WWhhaatt ggoott yyoouu iinntteerreesstteedd iinn rraacciinngg??

I grew up watching it on TV, my Dad wasalways interested. So I was watching theNational, the Derby and the King George atKempton. It was always on the TV, and onceI had a few quid from playing golf, me andmy manager Chubby, decided to buy one!

FFllaatt oorr JJuummppss??

Both really, love Ascot and Cheltenham soget the best of both worlds.

WWhhaatt aarree yyoouurr tthhoouugghhttss oonn

IIaann PPoouulltteerr’’ss ffaasshhiioonn sseennssee??

Haha, well I can see a place for it! Youwouldn’t see me wearing it in the nearfuture! It brightens up the boring classicchinos and t-shirt look.

YYoouurr lloonnggeesstt ddrriivvee??

Over 400 yards is probably my best! Iaverage about 300, but with the goodconditions I can hit 400.

AAss lloonngg aass TTiiggeerr??

Haha, not quite but I’m getting there!

AArree yyoouu aa ffaann ooff TTiiggeerr WWooooddss PPGGAA oonn

tthhee PPSS33??

I’m a bit of an oldie when it comes to that, Idon’t even think I’m on it! There were acouple on the Ryder Cup team playing itthough. Luke Donald was caught notplaying as himself but with himself!

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Lee Westwood celebrating the victory of Hoof It with jockey Kieren Fallon and daughter Poppy Grace

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