Will Lee Westwood ever win a major

Personally I don't think he has that extra bit to win one

I do

I think he has that extra bit and will win one. Most likely in about eighteen days.

Wouldn't surprise me if he wins one (and I would be delighted if he did) but I'm not sure he's got between the ears.

I know you can say he's won lots of tournaments and been successful in the Ryder Cup, but you can say exactly the same about Monty who managed to find ways to slip up in majors when he should have won.

He doesn't have a great game from 50 yds in and that helps a lot in the British open

baboo800 wrote:He doesn't have a great game from 50 yds in and that helps a lot in the British open

Really? Where do you get your information from? On the European tour, he is ranked 18th out of 209 in the scrambling category.

I'm really getting the feeling that you just come on here trying to wind people up.

He's a good putter but I don't feel he's great around the greens

I think what Westie needs most of all is a little bit of luck if he is in contention coming down the stretch on the final day, juxtaposed with slightly better course management. He's got the ability off the tee, if he can get the flat-stick working well, there is no reason why he can't win the Open this year.

D4S, I completely agree with you. Most of this guy's posts seem very WUMish.

I'm pretty sure that the question of Westwood winning a major has been done to death...

drive4show wrote:I do

Me too.

He'll only win if he changes his putting stroke. He's too aggressive which, in turn, destroys rhythm and timing. Not saying he can't make clutch putts ... he's done it plenty of times. He just can't do it often enough.

Baboon - is it the damp links greens you think he might stuggle on???

he has the game. i'd like to see him get 3 or 4 ahead going into the final round of the open and prove himself from the front.

I really hope so, and I think he will.

Sure he can; he has the game to do it easily. What he can't do is influence Lady Luck or (to any extent) what the others in the field do.

He's on my shortlist for the British Open.

But a very fair question and does make one wonder. He's sure had his chances but hasn't put it in the final gear when he needed to.

Shotrock wrote:He's on my shortlist for the British Open.

Shotrock

we are going to fall out big style, it's The Open

Drive - So noted! ... In this neck of the woods it's still commonly referred to as the British Open. I remember when people used to call the US Open the "National Open", but no more.

I have a hunch about Mickelson for some reason.

drive4show wrote:

Shotrock wrote:He's on my shortlist for the British Open.

Shotrock

we are going to fall out big style, it's The Open

I call it the british open aswell

I think his best chance is the open this month, last year he came so close, so his confidence must be high, and with home support, and seeing what Rory done, will give him that extra incentive.

Shotrock wrote:
I have a hunch about Mickelson for some reason.

Mickelson has a hunch of his own. Ask s_r about his BMI

Don't see Mickleson winning the big one. I just don't see him as a great links player but....I really think he can win this week (Castle Stuart has a bit more room for those that like to grip it rip it and occasionally spray it).

As for LW I think every aspect of his game is a LOT stronger than Curtis's in '03, Hamiltons in '04 for example and with all due respect to Stuart Cink as well, there's 3 previous winners that are just not in the same class. So yes, of course he can win it. He just has to put himself in contention yet again and see what happens this time

I dont think he has the mental strength to win a major

JAS - Good points -- Cink, Hamilton, Curtis, Lawrie, and even last year's winner may not be as "accomplished" golfers at LW. But let's not forget -- they ALL beat Lee to win the Claret jug. He has to do more than put himself in contention, he needs to get up and take it. As Ricky Fowler would tweet, it's "go time".

Ironic that Fowler would "tweet" such a thing when all he has accomplished in his career is demonstrate how ridiculous he can look on a golf course. He makes Poulter look positively drab by comparison.

I think you need to ask the question.

If an English golfer was one shot in the lead at THE Open with four holes to play who would be most likely to win?

I'm a big Westwood fan but I would chose Poulter and Donald before Westwood every time.

By the same token Doon if he finds himself next Sunday afternoon in the same position again as he was at Turnberry a couple of years ago, the chances are luck will balance itself out and he will most likely prevail.

I've said this so many times, he did absolutely nothing wrong down the stretch at Turnberry and at the 2010 masters. The golfing Gods just decided it wasn't his time. On another day though....

What he did wrong was fail to raise his game when he was in with a very good sniff of winning a major.
What he has to do to win a major is actually buck the trend of his whole career and win an event when all the worlds best players are competing, as he has never done this before in umpteen attempts I think its a bit of a stretch to assume he would do it next time he is in a good position when history shows that he has never done it in the past.
Maybe the very best players dont believe in the golfing gods or are so driven that they thing there might not be another day which is why they always seem to find a way to get the job done.

I think that it's as much to do with Westwood's style of play as well. One of his biggest strengths is his consistency and one would hope that he can win a major on the strength of this. However, if required to step up and shoot low he just doesn't have the game for it. Maybe RSG will suit him as I think the winning score last time was around par so he may be able to shoot 4 solid rounds and there will be less chance of a Mickelson shooting -5/6 to overtake him.

Diggers wrote:...What he has to do to win a major is actually buck the trend of his whole career and win an event when all the worlds best players are competing...

You are describing almost everyone who's not won a Major. By definition, any other event doesn't have the World's best competing. Personally, I'd argue his demolition of the ET field (inc. Mr. McIlroy whom he intimidated into an also-ran) at the RtD finals a couple of years back pretty impressive.

I'd argue that that field was still missing at least 20 or so of the worlds top 50 players...probably more... which with the all due respect is not going to happen in any major these days. I'd also argue that he is in his comfort zone amongst the peers he was playing that day on a Tour he feels at home in. And McIlroy had been an also ran in every European Tour event he had enetered at that stage bar the one event he had won and he is still yet far from a prolific winner.
Yes I am describing everyone who has not won a major, but there aren't 100's of posts on here claiming that all of those over players are almost certainly going to win a major and are just unlucky they haven't done so in the past.
He has been the worlds top ranked player recently and has experience and talent aplenty. He enters what is it 5 WGC's and 4 majors each year. Im just personally getting a bit bored by the number of reasons given why he can manage to win a single one of these.
Sorry I do really hope he gets the monkey off his back but I think he is cut far too much slack for his failure to win and really big events.

Diggers, I think that he maybe should be given a bit more credit than you are affording him for his RtD win but it was unfortunately an anomaly in his career rather than the norm. Maybe the comfort of the European Tour did help but he still displayed a very different game to his normally consistent just above average game and the field was strong enough to make it mean something.

I agree that he has run out of excuses and it now almost feels like it is such a big monkey that for him to get it off his back would take an even bigger effort.

I really do hope he can win The Open, if for nothing else all the "I was wrong" comments to come piling in. Though it would probably mean a lot of posters would be taking a sabatical!

Sharrison, it was an excellent performance and very good win but sorry, for me calling it the Golf World Championship was a joke. Maybe he would have won had all the other players been there, certainly had he played the way he did that week its likely.
But if the other 20 or 30 of the worlds top players had been there and one of them had been neck and neck with him going down the back nine would he have closed it out ? Maybe but again history suggests not.
Sorry for me he has to beat a field of his all his peers and he should have found a way to have done that by now probably more than once.

JPX, I'd be happy to come on here and post I was wrong if he wins a major...I certainly did exactly that when McDowell won one. I've been wrong about many things in life and Im sure will continue to be so.
However this is a debating board and there shouldnt be an issue with posting an opinion which you believe to be based on a sound argument as to why Westwood hasnt won in the past and may not win in the future.
If he was happened to be American and if he hadn't posted on here for a while Im pretty sure a lot of posters wouldnt be quite so bouyant about his chances and defensive about his misses.

No problem with your opinion, but it chops and changes like the wind. Example:

You must agree then that Poulter has what it takes as he won the WGC Matchplay against all the top players in the world?

...and by that definition even if Westwood does win at RSG, he stil lwon't have achieved what you deem worthy as Woods won't have been in the field.

Sorry but if you read any of my posts about Poulter and his potential to win a major....not that Id expect you to go back and do so....you will see that I make a very clear definition between matchplay and strokeplay. Nice as they are for Donald and Poulter Id have much rather seen them both win one of the strokeplay events which ist he bread and butter format for the vast majority of the year.
And sorry I really dont get your point re Woods, I dont see that Ive mentioned him in any posts this morning. He isn't there and he isn't playing his best so thats that.
Im also giving an overview of Westwoods career, if doesnt have to be just about RSG.

I don’t think many would argue that Lee is one if not the most consistent player at performing well in any major. The problem for Lee as I see it is that consistency does not guarantee you a Major. You have to be the best player in the Field that day, that round, that tournament. Maybe Lee needs to sacrifice some consistency so he can focus on Peaking more for the majors and raising his game to another level. I think Lee is a really sound guy and a gent to boot but you can't let that influence a critical assessment of his potential to win a major. My main doubt about Lee winning a major as discussed before is his mental fortitude. To me he has not proven he has it when it most counts.

Diggers wrote:If he was happened to be American and if he hadn't posted on here for a while Im pretty sure a lot of posters wouldnt be quite so bouyant about his chances and defensive about his misses.

I can't say that I agree with that comment - Westwood's American equivalent has to be Steve Stricker. Haven't seen many articles questioning his, or in fact any other American's, ability to win a big one. In fact, Stricker gets tipped quite a lot on here.

sharrison01 wrote:Diggers, I think that he maybe should be given a bit more credit than you are affording him for his RtD win but it was unfortunately an anomaly in his career rather than the norm. Maybe the comfort of the European Tour did help but he still displayed a very different game to his normally consistent just above average game and the field was strong enough to make it mean something.

I agree that he has run out of excuses and it now almost feels like it is such a big monkey that for him to get it off his back would take an even bigger effort.

What are you on? I can't be bothered to post the details (try here even though it is Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Westwood) but his win margins throughout his career are not really those of someone who's "average".
Winning the Dubai event in '09 the way he did it is not the norm for anyone.

He'll either win one or he won't. I for one will be egging him on if only to throw it in so many people's faces.

detones wrote:...Maybe Lee needs to sacrifice some consistency so he can focus on Peaking more for the majors and raising his game to another level....My main doubt about Lee winning a major as discussed before is his mental fortitude. To me he has not proven he has it when it most counts.

Nearly fell off my chair laughing. You don't think someone in his position is aiming everything at the Majors???? Could it be that he's done so well in them recently as that's exactly what he's doing?

As for the "mental fortitude", you'll only agree he has it if he wins a big one ergo it's a non-sensical argument....and even then you'd probably find a way to say he was given it/someone else messed up/whatever.

Stricker probably gets tipped on here about once to every hundred time Westwood does. The general concensus I can see on Stricker on these boards is that he is steady player but not likely to win a major.
As it goes I'd like Stricker to win one as I would Westwood but Im far from convinced either of them will.

Aside from the odd one time/wind up posters, i'm not sure i've read many people saying they think Westwood will never win a Major.

It's possible to question why he hasn't won one to date whilst at the same time thinking he is likely to win one at some point - which is pretty much where i am.
I don't think not winning one so far is entirely down to bad luck but i do think he will win one soon.

When he does win one, i wonder how many will come on here saying it was all down to good luck that no one like Mickleson pulled out a 62 or whatever. That'll be different........

navyblueshorts wrote:

sharrison01 wrote:Diggers, I think that he maybe should be given a bit more credit than you are affording him for his RtD win but it was unfortunately an anomaly in his career rather than the norm. Maybe the comfort of the European Tour did help but he still displayed a very different game to his normally consistent just above average game and the field was strong enough to make it mean something.

I agree that he has run out of excuses and it now almost feels like it is such a big monkey that for him to get it off his back would take an even bigger effort.

What are you on? I can't be bothered to post the details (try here even though it is Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Westwood) but his win margins throughout his career are not really those of someone who's "average".
Winning the Dubai event in '09 the way he did it is not the norm for anyone.

He'll either win one or he won't. I for one will be egging him on if only to throw it in so many people's faces.

I didn't say that his win margins were average and was talking more about his major performances. There is little point looking at his career before his slump because he has come back as a very different player and since then his only big win was the Dubai WC, which I stated was an anomaly because he shot a low round when the pressure was on in the final round. Westwood's performances in the majors and World Golf Championships over the past few years have been as good if not better than anyone's but I believe that where he has come close and been pipped by somebody else it has been because he has shot another solid round similar to the first three days yet the eventual winner managed to step up and shoot a low one in the last round. This is more of an observation than a criticism and I think that the coming RSG Open presents a good chance for him because it is a tough course where four solid rounds will have a good chance of winning it.

A step back and re-read might be policy for you in future...

Diggers wrote:Sorry but if you read any of my posts about Poulter and his potential to win a major....not that Id expect you to go back and do so....you will see that I make a very clear definition between matchplay and strokeplay. Nice as they are for Donald and Poulter Id have much rather seen them both win one of the strokeplay events which ist he bread and butter format for the vast majority of the year.
And sorry I really dont get your point re Woods, I dont see that Ive mentioned him in any posts this morning. He isn't there and he isn't playing his best so thats that.
Im also giving an overview of Westwoods career, if doesnt have to be just about RSG.

I'm just debating with you as this is a debating board as you said, don't be so defensive. You said in an earlier post that Westwood hasn't beaten the top 20/30 players (referring to RtD I think). So I have merely pointed out that by definition he still can't do that at RSG as Woods won't be there?

Also, I thought there might be some sort of difference where Poulter's win was concerned.

Sorry, do you mean by being defensive giving an argument that shows that I dont actually "change my opinion like the wind" which if you want my opinion is actually a pretty rude thing to accuse someone of when it wasn't based on anything whatsoever.
I think you might get a tad defensive if someone accused you of the same.
There is clearly a difference between beating a field with 30 of the worlds top 50 missing as opposed to beating a field with one of the worlds top 50 missing. I'd assume thats obvious really.

sharrison01 wrote:A step back and re-read might be policy for you in future...

Possibly. Then again, writing a cogent argument to back up an assertion might be policy for you going forward.

NBS I had changed my views on Lee and his mental strength until I seen his performance at the BMW and his failure to close that tournament out. You could again say he was unlucky as in Turnberry, but the greats don’t rely on luck.

If he does go on to win one I would never begrudge that fact and would be happy for him that he did. I'm just saying if I’m honest in my own opinion I’m not convinced that he can.

I guess what I meant by consistency was that he continually is finishing in the top 5 in majors. Maybe he's become too familiar now with being in that position that he does not have the shock factor of realising this is his big chance to win when he gets close. In a way I think he has to a certain extent become a victim of his own success.

Sorry, no I mean by expecting me to go back through your each and every post to find out what your opinion of Poulters Matchply win was, rather than just asking you.

So, just so I understand it right, Westwood has to....

1. Win a major / WGC
2. It has to a win where he was neck and neck with a top 20/30 player coming down the stretch
3. If it's a WGC then matchplay doesn't count
4. All the worlds top players have to be in the field, Woods excepted as he isn't playing well.

Add to that he shouldn't really post on here as it makes us all change our opinion of his ability to win a major.

Think that's about it. Surely, you can see why I'm questioning some of this?

navyblueshorts wrote:

sharrison01 wrote:A step back and re-read might be policy for you in future...

Possibly. Then again, writing a cogent argument to back up an assertion might be policy for you going forward.

Interesting response?!? I think that you will find that you have selected one of my posts at the end of a series of posts in this thread to comment on. As a series of posts they make a cohesive and consistent point...