GOLF NEDBANK CHALLENGE:LEE WESTWOOD insists becoming world number one has not increased the pressure on him as he bids to become the first Englishman in 16 years to win the Nedbank Golf Challenge.
The 37-year-old is among five European Ryder Cup-winning players who will take part in the event at Sun City this week.
Pádraig Harrington is in the field, and is joined by England’s Ross Fisher, Italy’s Edoardo Molinari and Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez.
There is also a strong South African contingent present, including three-time winner Ernie Els, Tim Clark, Retief Goosen and Louis Oosthuizen, who won the the British Open Championship at St Andrews this year.
Robert Allenby will defend his title at the Gary Player Country Club, while England’s Justin Rose and Dane Anders Hansen complete the 12-man line-up.
The tournament, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary, last had an English winner in 1994 when Nick Faldo emerged triumphant.
Westwood said: “I’d love to win here. It’s somewhere I’ve always enjoyed coming to.
“It’s a great tournament, it always has a good feel, I enjoy the golf course and have since ’98 when it was my first year. I enjoyed it then and enjoy it now.”
As for the additional burden of being the world’s top-ranked player – he overtook Tiger Woods at the start of last month – he continued: “(There’s) no pressure, really.
“Being the number one in the world comes as a consequence of playing well, so if you think playing well’s going to create more pressure then you’re probably doing the wrong job.”
Westwood was predictably pleased with the way 2010 has gone, but conceded that, bar a calf injury, it could have been even better.
“I’ve had a decent year, it’s been a little bit stop-start really, the second half of the year. It was a little bit disappointing to get an injury when I was doing so well in June.
“But having said that, when I’ve played, since the Open, I played three strokeplay events, I finished 11th in the Dunhill, second in China and third last week in Dubai, so I’m presently happy with the way things are going.”
TEE-TIMES
(Rsa unless stated, (x) denotes amateurs
SENIORS: 8.10: Mark McNulty (Ire), Jay Haas (US); 8.22: Fulton Allem, Tommy Armour (US); 8.34: David Frost, Fred Funk (US); 8.46: Nick Price (Zim), Jeff Sluman (US).
MAIN FIELD: 9.10: Ross Fisher (Eng), Edoardo Molinari (Ita); 9.22: Retief Goosen, Ernie Els; 9.34: Justin Rose (Eng), Lee Westwood (Eng); 9.46: Pádraig Harrington (Ire), Anders Hansen (Den); 9.58: Tim Clark, Louis Oosthuizen; 10.10: Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa), Robert Allenby (Aus).
Details
The course: Gary Player Country Club, Sun City, South Africa.
Length: 7,831 yards.
Par: 72. Field: 12.
Prize money: €3.8m (€950,000 to winner, €500,000 to second, €340,000 to third, last man gets €190,000)
How it plays: Does not play to its immense length because of the rarefied air, but two of the four par fives are over 600 yards and all four short holes are in excess of 200, so the longer hitters will have an advantage.
Last year: Robert Allenby defeated defending champion Henrik Stenson in a play-off, with Tim Clark and Ross Fisher a shot back.
On TV: Live on Sky Sports 3 from 9am today.
Weather forecast: Hot (up to 30 degrees), cloudy and thundery.
