Golf: Howell earns Westwood praise at Woburn

02/06/2001 - 18:28:51
Lee Westwood led the applause today as stablemate David Howell moved a step closer to only the second European victory of his career.

The Swindon 25-year-old goes into the final round of the Victor Chandler British Masters at Woburn on the 15-under-par mark of 201.

He leads Robert Karlsson by one after shooting a 68 to the Swede’s 69, but what impressed Westwood was that both came close to keeping up the pace they set on the first two days.

Westwood moved into joint fourth place with a 67 he described as easily his best round of the year, but still has five strokes to make up and said: "I'm staggered by the scoring.

"I thought 14 under would win. It still might, but it does not look like it at the moment."

Howell, whose only previous success on the circuit was when he pushed Westwood into second place at the 1999 Dubai Desert Classic, commented: "I’m not saying Lee can’t give me a five-shot start, but I’ll have a tenner with him.

"He normally only gives me two shots!"

One man neither has to worry about is Colin Montgomerie. The bookmakers who are putting up the £208,330 first prize rated him the third favourite even when he trailed by six at halfway, but after a third-round 74 the Scot is now 12 adrift and accepts he is out of the running.

Howell and Karlsson, three clear of the field after the first 36 holes, both went to the turn in 32, a score beaten by just one player all day.

Karlsson two-putted the long 11th for another birdie, Howell caught him by pitching to two feet at the next and after both bogeyed the short 14th they were separated only when Karlsson failed to get up and down from a greenside bunker at the last for the second day running.

Frenchman Thomas Levet is lying third on 11 under, while Westwood shares fourth spot with another Swede, Mathias Gronberg, and Sheffield’s Malcolm Mackenzie, still to win in 486 attempts on the circuit.

Having made up his mind to play only on Monday after missing the halfway cut in the Volvo PGA championship, Westwood is thoroughly justifying his decision.

"I’m looking forward to playing, which is something that has not happened in a while," he said.

"I made some progress on the range last night and while it’s going to take some time to feel fully comfortable with it I had instant success."

A hat-trick of birdies from the second helped him reach the turn in 33 and after picking up further shots on the 11th and 12th he parred the difficult last six.

Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance, who himself shot 66 to move to six under, insists he has "no concern whatsoever" over Montgomerie, but if the putting problems evident again persist much longer then he certainly should have.

The seven-time number one, whose last European victory was 53 weeks ago, is currently in 10th place in the cup points table and will almost certainly fall further if Karlsson or Howell win tomorrow.

Torrance revealed today that as things stand his two wild cards are ear-marked for US Tour winners Sergio Garcia and Robert Karlsson.

Montgomerie said: "I three-putted the second and third (first for par, then for bogey) and it was a long day from there really. It affected everything."

The Scot had spoken before the start of trying to treat every putt as though it was for a half in the Ryder Cup.

"I kept trying it, but it does not seem to be working."

His last chance for a victory before the US Open in a fortnight is next week’s English Open at the Forest of Arden, where he has won twice before.

"It’s a course I like - but so was this!" he said. He went as far as to say that the new Marquess course "has me written all over it".

But, as well as struggling on the greens, he visited parts he had no wish to see.