I didn't choke at the Open... I just hit a few bad shots! Westwood denies 'mental errors'

Lee Westwood has put his latest Open failure down to his own technical errors and not a mental meltdown.
It is now 62 majors, including a record eight top-three finishes, without success for the Worksop nearly man. He admitted yesterday he is still feeling the pain of blowing a two-shot lead on the final day and finishing third behind the winner Phil Mickelson. But the 40-year-old refuses to dwell on this latest setback. In fact, as he prepares for the US PGA in a fortnight, Westwood could hardly look more content.
Westwood was back in the North East yesterday for the official opening of the Lee Westwood Filly course at Close House near Newcastle.

Nearly man: Westwood has finished in the top three eight times in 62 majors

And as he relaxed with fans, media and the Ryder Cup, which he had brought to the course instead of the Claret Jug, he looked untroubled by his Sunday surrender to the Muirfield course.
‘I don’t over-analyse on a Sunday night after the event,’ he said. ‘I probably had one, maybe two wrong clubs all day. The shots dropped really were down to operator errors — not mental errors.
‘What’s the word they use up here? It was ‘‘mint’’. I played ‘‘mint’’ for three days and then not so good on Sunday. I mean, I played all right but not fantastic on Sunday, I just didn’t do enough things to create my own momentum.
‘But the first three days were good. I finished third in a major championship. I think you’ve got to take positives out of that.

Staying positive: Westwood is already preparing for the US PGA Championship

‘I was stood on the first tee on Sunday, last off. I think that is the position that every professional golfer wants to find themselves in. Leading The Open, thousands of people there — it was a great atmosphere.
‘All week my green game was sharp. It has been all season. I felt I hit quite a lot of the  fairways. I obviously bogeyed three of the par threes, which doesn’t normally happen but they were just poor shots.
‘The next one is only two weeks away, so it’s exciting that I get another chance to do it. And if I don’t win that one, I’ve got another eight months to prepare for the Masters at Augusta. I tend not to look at negatives — and what other people think.’
Four years ago, Westwood three-putted on the 18th at Turnberry to blow his chances of winning The Open. He needed days, if not weeks, to recover from that disappointment.

Bad day: Westwood put his failure down to technical mistakes rather than mental errors

He may be willing to talk with sports psychologists to deal with the darker moments now, but Westwood is comfortable within himself.
If he did bristle at all on his PR duties for Close House yesterday, it was over the suggestion that he lacks the mental capacity to handle winning a major. Inevitably it leads to comparisons with Colin Montgomerie, who plays his first Senior Open at Royal Birkdale this week.
‘Yes, I know about the comparisons,’ Westwood said. ‘But he didn’t actually get to world No 1, he got to world No 2. I got to  No 1. I don’t know how to win a major because I haven’t won one yet. But who are these experts?
‘I tend not to listen to the  critics. I don’t listen to the radio, I was playing cricket on Monday. I don’t read the articles because I just can’t be bothered. I live in my own little world.’

In the long stuff: Westwood held a three-shot lead going into the final day at Muirfield

Westwood spent Monday with his wife, Laurae, and their children, Sam and Poppy and other family, playing football and cricket at their rented house adjacent to Muirfield. It was the perfect relaxation for Westwood, who heads to the Bridgestone Invitational at Akron next week as his final preparation for the US PGA.
One man who sent a text of support was former England and Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer, who has become a  regular playing partner on his frequent visits to Close House, which is owned by local businessman and pal Graeme Wylie.

Friend: Alan Shearer (left) sent a message of support to Westwood

Westwood added: ‘Alan hasn’t talked about the mental side of it to me. He sent me a text, along with Graeme, to say good luck and that they were behind me.
‘I try to get Alan as much out of his comfort zone as possible when we’re playing. I could play him at football: I could stand up to that easily! I can kick with both feet, I don’t think that’s something Alan could do.’