LEE WESTWOOD SEEMS to be getting used to answering questions about Rory McIlroy.
The former stablemates met in a dramatic World Match Play semi-final in Arizona on Sunday morning. The Holywood man clawed back Westwood’s lead to book his place in a final; one which he ultimately lost to Hunter Mahan.
The pair’s relationship has been under the spotlight since McIlroy left Andrew ‘Chubby’ Chandler’s management company and they then subsequently exchanged stilted Twitter messages.
This week, the Ryder Cup teammates are preparing for the Honda Classic in Palm Beach, and Westwood has been answering reporters’ queries about the US Open champion.
“If I am going to have a rivalry I would like it to be with Rory because he’s arguably the hottest player on the planet at the moment,” Westwood said. ”I am willing to go along with that if you want to write about it. I’ve been around a long time now – this is my 19th year out here – and there’s been various rivalries thrown at me during my career.
“I really don’t pay much attention to them. You learn through playing golf for a long time that the only thing you can control is your own game. That’s all I try to do. I figure that if I’m going to keep playing well and getting in contention for tournaments Rory’s pretty much going to be in a similar position, so we’re going to be playing together a lot.
Lee Westwood congratulates Rory McIlroy on his 3 and 2 semi-final win during the Match Play Championship golf tournament. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
“It’s going to go backwards and forwards. One of us will get the better of the other, as I did in Dubai two weeks ago and then Rory got the better of me last week. That’s just the way it is,” he added.
