CHILD’S PLAY

The 38-year-old wants to putt just like his son Sam at the USPGA Championship – the final major of 2011. Speaking in a light hearted media session this week, Worksop’s world number two golfer was in relaxed mood. And he hopes to remain carefree at the Atlanta Athletic Club course. Explaining his lighter attitude, Westwood said: “You can get yourself into the (winnng) position, but you really need to – when you get into those positions, just enjoy it and have a free, clear mind and play like it doesn’t really mean anything.” “Just laugh it off and have fun out there.” “That’s the mentality I’m trying to get back to.” Along with mind guru Bob Rotella and putting expert David Stockton, 10-year-old Sam Westwood has been instrumental in his father’s mental approach. “I’m just playing like my son, stood over a 10-foot putt on the last green of the Par-3 at the Masters and rolled it in.” “He wasn’t thinking about whether it was square or taking it far back enough.” “That’s just how kids do and that’s the mentality I’m trying to get back into with my golf.” “I’ve done all the hard work now, done it for 20 years.” “It’s time to just relax and let it flow.” It certainly helps that Westwood enters the US PGA in great form, after a top 10 finish in last week’s WGC Invitational in Ohio. A final round of 65, his best of the weekend, left him eight shots behind tournament winner Adam Scott, tied for ninth place. Speaking after a five-under par fourth round, Westwood was a happy man. “On the weekend, tee to green, that’s probably the best I’ve ever played,” he said. “It was that good.” Improved putting certainly added to his usual reliability from tee to green, and he insists this weekend he won’t be striving with the putter. “You’ll see a routine that I’m comfortable with, but you’ll see me not trying.” One area of his game he has been trying hard to improve however is his fitness. “Gone into it a little bit more in-depth the last three weeks and managed to drop about nine pounds in three weeks, so I suppose that will help out there in the heat,” he added. More golf on page 75