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Westwood: It’s Sickening

San Diego – Lee Westwood isn’t going to beat himself up over it.

He had a chance to make history on Sunday. He had an opportunity to become the first European player to win the U.S. Open since Britain’s Tony Jacklin did so in 1970. He had a chance to be the first player ever to deny Tiger Woods a major championship that he led after 54 holes.

He had a chance to do something he’s always thought he would do: win one of golf’s major championships. And in the end, that’s what mattered most – he had the chance.

“It’s sickening not to be in the playoff,” said Westwood, speaking of the Monday showdown between Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate. “But all in all, I played pretty good all week. If somebody said you’re going to have a chance from 20 feet for a playoff on Monday, then I would have taken that at the start of the week.”

Westwood is one of the few who have caught Woods from behind in his career. He defeated Woods in the 2000 Deutsche Bank-SAP Open, after trailing Woods by two going into the final round. When he came to the first tee on Sunday, sharing the final pairing with Woods, one stroke in arrears to a 13-time major championship winner, he felt confident.

“It was good, the crowds were great,” Westwood said. “I felt very good about my game. I had played solid all week.”

Both Woods and Westwood got off to shaky starts. But after his bogey at No. 1, Westwood steadied his hand. He made seven consecutive pars and added a birdie at No. 9. As he moved to two under for the championship, he enjoyed a four-hole sequence in which he had the lead.

“I was aware I had the lead, but then I saw Rocco made a couple of birdies,” he said. “I could have played my way out of it completely, after 10, 11, 12, 13. But a lot of strange things happen the last few holes of a major championship, as they did today.”

Sure enough, bad things began happening to Westwood after the turn. He bogeyed three of the first four holes on the back, dropping from the lead and falling to one over par for the championship. But the 35-year-old Englishman has been around the big-time golf block before. He has played in five Ryder Cups; he has won 18 times on the European Tour.

He stayed the course, made a birdie at No. 14, got back to even par and back in the hunt. Tied with Woods at No. 18, he also had a chance to catch Mediate with a birdie on the 72nd hole.

But after his drive found a fairway bunker, Westwood could do no better than set himself up with a 25-foot look for birdie. Putting first, his attempt turned short of the hole. Moments later, Woods drained his clutch 12-footer to create the Monday playoff.

“The impressive thing about Tiger is when he’s not playing well, he still finds a way to get around and that is what good players do,” Westwood said.

Westwood is a good player, his credentials corroborate as much. But he couldn’t quite pull it off at Torrey Pines.

“While I’m disappointed, I’m pleased with myself,” he said. “I think that I’ve proved to myself and a few others that I think there is a major championship in me.

“I made a good birdie at 14 and just failed to make birdie at the last. So yeah, it’s disappointing, but I’m optimistic for the future.”

Phillip Howley is a freelance writer whose work has previously appeared on www.usopen.com.

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