Westwood overcomes rough start to post his best-ever Masters score

Lee Westwood three-putted two straight holes early in his first round, then played his final 13 holes in 6 under. Westwood was pleased with his patience as he was his short game. 

By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM Chief of Correspondents

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- So what if he had just three-putted twice in a row?

Lee Westwood was only five holes into Thursday's first round of the 74th Masters Tournament. The 36-year-old has certainly been around enough to know that there was no need to sound the alarm.

Indeed. The Englishman proceeded to play his next 13 holes in 5 under to seize a share of the lead with the 60-year-old Tom Watson, PGA Champion Y.E. Yang and Phil Mickelson, who is bidding for his third Masters, before Fred Couples pushed past them with his late 66.

"I've certainly learnt patience over the last few years, and that has a lot to do with playing major championships successfully I think," Westwood said. "You can get ahead of yourself, and you can be your own worst enemy sometimes."

Westwood, who is ranked fourth in the world, couldn't help but be satisfied by his performance on this breezy afternoon with those forbidding dark clouds on the horizon.

The 67 was a career low for this Brit at Augusta National -- and just his third score in the 60s in 35 rounds at the Masters. He hit 18 greens in regulation, too, on a day when the wind was swirling and gusting through the pines.

"Easily the best," Westwood said. "That was a 67 that could have been a 64 or anything today." 

Westwood has won 20 times on the European Tour and once in the United States, but is still looking for his first major championship. He's getting closer, though, after third-place finishes in three of his last seven majors -- including the last two of 2009.

In fact, Westwood was one stroke out of the playoffs at Turnberry and Torrey Pines.

"If you get that close, then you know you've proved to yourself and everybody else that you are good enough," Westwood said. "You've got a good enough game to win a major championship. It's really eradicating the odd mistake, thinking a little bit clearer when it matters."

The steady Westwood is playing in his 11th Masters, yet he has only had one top-10 finish at Augusta National, a tie for sixth in 1999. He had closed with a 79 on Sunday last year, too, which is not exactly a confidence-builder.

Westwood, though, has worked very hard on his short game, which is so important around Augusta National's vexing and vicious greens. He also teamed up with Billy Foster, who has caddied in more than a dozen Masters, including five times for the great Seve Ballesteros, last year.

"My short game is improving all the time," said Westwood, who tied for eighth in Houston on Sunday. "I'm gradually getting the hang of that, after 17 years. And mentally, I'm pretty solid, I would say.
   
"If you're playing well, then your confidence is high, and mentally you can be a lot more relaxed and focused."

Westwood, who has never held a first-round lead on the PGA TOUR, started quickly with birdies on Nos. 2 and 3 before the two three-putts dropped him back to even par. He got back in red numbers with a 15-footer at No. 6, then added birdie putts of 10, 12 and 5 feet, as well as an 8-incher when he got up and down from a greenside bunker at the par-5 15th.

"I think we were a little kind to us with some of the flags," Westwood said. "But it was still very tricky out there. ... The wind is moving around a little bit now. Towards the end of the round, it started to move just a little bit.
   
"The course is in fantastic condition. The greens are immaculate. You start a putt on the right line, it doesn't deviate off line. The flags could get a lot harder. So that's really the reason for so many good, low scores, I would say."