Golf:The clues are subtle but they're there if looking closely. Today Lee Westwood gave a clear indication he and Rory McIlroy will team up for tomorrow's afternoon foursomes session.
Speaking ahead of the final practice session at Celtic Manor, the world number three – who will go to number two next week – obviously knows who he is in line to play with and dropped a rather large hint when questioned.
Are you playing with Rory today, or are is he just in the same fourball?. “I’m playing with Rory, yeah,” was Westwood’s teasing response. “We are playing foursomes this afternoon and I’m playing with Rory, you can draw your own conclusions, can you?”
The six-time Ryder Cup player is undoubtedly one of the figureheads in the European team room and insists he is fit and ready to play. Four matches would be his optimum number of outings but is happy to play whenever he is needed.
“As much as I hate to admit it, I’m not as young as I used to be where I could play five in a week easily. There’s a few more miles left in the legs but perhaps the best way to get the maximum out of me is four matches, but whatever Monty sees fit. At the same time if I didn’t think I could play five then I wouldn’t be here,” added Westwood, who has no concerns over the calf strain which sidelined him in the run up to Ryder Cup week.
He heaped praise on his captain and said there is a totally different buzz compared to Valhalla in 2008. “You know, he’s (Montgomerie) been a great captain so far, not put one foot wrong in my book. I think there was a lot of passion at Valhalla but I don’t think it was guided in the right direction at times. I think we could have pulled it together as a team a lot better at Valhalla.
“Here we are all working in the same direction. This is one of the best atmospheres I’ve ever been to at a Ryder Cup.”
Westwood, like one of his more senior team-mates, Miguel Angel Jimenez, spoke of the unique nervous excitement associated with the Ryder Cup.
“It’s not so much nerves but it’s tense because you know it’s getting close,” said Jimenez, on the eve of his fourth appearance but first on European soil. “All week you feel the knot in your stomach and tomorrow is getting closer and the knot is getting tight.”
“I know what Miguel is referring to,” added Westwood. “There’s the nervous excitement, it’s a long week. Nerves are great so long as you know how to handle them.”
The Spaniard has plenty of stogies in supply for the roller-coaster rides which lie ahead.
“I don’t know if the number (I smoke) is going to increase, but I will enjoy anyway. Generally I light one at the end of each day. Today as soon as I finish I’m going to start another one. I have breakfast and now my stomach has time to warm up,” beamed Jimenez in his typical broken English.
Thursday's final practice tee-times
EUROPE(From the 11th tee)
10am:Luke Donald, Martin Kaymer, Edoardo Molinari and Francesco Molinari
10.15am:Ross Fisher, Pádraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter
10.30am:Peter Hanson, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood
UNITED STATES(From the 1st tee)
8.30amDustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler
8.40amBubba Watson, Jeff Overton and Hunter Mahan
8.50amTiger Woods, Jim Furyk and Steve Stricker
9am:Zach Johnson, Stewart Cink and Matt Kuchar