Lee ‘focused on Houston Open’

LEE Westwood will be 100 per cent focused on winning the Shell Houston Open this week, despite the first major tournament of the year looming large.

The Worksop man launches another attempt to land his first ever major at the Masters next week at Augusta, but he has business to attend to first.

Speaking in Humble, Texas on Tuesday the 38-year-old said: “I’m here to try and win this tournament, the Shell Houston Open.”

“It’s all such a mental game. I’m not smart enough to concentrate on two things at once so I have to concentrate on the thing at hand, which is trying to win this week.”

But this week’s event is very much part of the world number three’s preparations for the Masters, where he finished 11th last year.

“I like to be competitive the week before the Masters,” he said.

“It’s a tough test at Augusta. I’ve always found it a tough test. If you don’t go into it competitively sharp, (you’re) not going to hit all the greens, going to have to get up and down a little bit as you do at most tournaments, but it just seems like it’s more important at the Masters, (to) keep the momentum going.”

Westwood describes his form going into the first major as ‘consistent’ having played six tournaments and finishes inside the top 30 each time, with a second place in Dubai the highlight of his 2012 schedule so far.

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