Lee Westwood is within touching distance of claiming what he says would “probably be the best win of my career,” as the former World No.1 goes into the final round of LIV Golf Singapore tied for the lead with Joaquin Niemann.
The Majesticks co-captain fired a third-round 68 at Sentosa Golf Club to get to 10-under, which puts him bang in contention to win a first individual tournament title since the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at the start of 2020.
The 52-year-old, who is still recovering from a wrist injury, has won 44 times around the world but has never tasted victory in Singapore, something he hopes to put right on Sunday.
Asked what a victory would mean to him at this stage of his career, the Englishman said it would rank very highly given that he’s now battling players aged 30 years younger.
“I’m 53 on the 24th of April, so at that stage, it would probably be the best win of my career,” he said.
“I normally go back to the '97 Australian Open beating Greg Norman in a playoff as certainly my favorite win, and then obviously winning at Sun City with my wife carrying my golf bag. I have to then say that that's one of my favorite wins or she clips me around the ear.
“But all of my wins have special memories. But to still be competitive at my age and up there and having chances to win tournaments like this is validation for driving myself on and doing all the hard work and practice that nobody sees and still being competitive, like I say, and having a good enough game to compete against them.”
Westwood, who has won 25 times on the DP World Tour and twice on the PGA Tour, goes into the final round hoping to get the better of one of LIV Golf’s strongest players.
Niemann is a multiple winner on the circuit, and Westwood will need to be at his best to land the title, especially with Major champions Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm one shot and three shots back, respectively.
Despite being the underdog, Westwood is clearly relishing being back in the mix.
“I've always been fiercely competitive,” he added. “I find a competition in anything I'm doing, and now I'm at an age where it's about getting in there and showing the younger lads that I can still do it and shaking it up a bit.
“They could be under pressure a bit tomorrow with an old man like me staring them down, or they might just relax and play well. You never know.”
