Lee Westwood: Veteran Would Be Big Presence on Ryder Cup Team
By Tim Letcher
Lee Westwood has been a part of 10 European Ryder Cup teams and is pushing to make an 11th. His presence would be huge for the Euros.
Lee Westwood saw his streak of eight straight Ryder Cup appearances end in 2018, when he was not selected for the European side. Although he had not played well enough to make the team, it didn’t seem the same not having Westwood playing for the Euros.
Westwood has made 10 appearances in the event and has been one of the most productive players in its history. Westwood has racked up 23 points in his Ryder Cup history, including when he helped the Euros win in 2004 with 4.5 points.
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Many players might have given up in 2018, and just rested on their laurels or enjoyed their past successes, but not Westwood. He has gone back to work and has been playing some good golf lately.
In fact, Westwood won the Abu Dhabi HSBC Classic in January, topping Matthew Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood and Victor Perez by two shots. It was Westwood’s 44th professional victory and his 25th on the European Tour.
Now 47 years old, Westwood is hoping to find his way back onto the Ryder Cup team this year. He’s currently ninth in the European standings and appears to be on his way to playing for captain Padraig Harrington in September at Whistling Straits.
Harrington would love it if Westwood could make the team on his own. This would prevent the captain from having to make a tough decision to use a captain’s pick on the veteran if Westwood is on the bubble to make the team.
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Westwood’s presence on the European Ryder Cup team could be very helpful, as the Euros may have a few rookies on their squad in 2020. Players like Perez and Marcus Kinhult could benefit from Westwood’s experience in the team room.
For now, Westwood needs to continue his solid play. If he does that, it will be hard to keep him from being a part of the 2020 European Ryder Cup team.