Favourite Lee Westwood eyes maiden major title at Muirfield
Published:Lee Westwood goes into the final day of the Open championship at Muirfield with a two-shot lead over the rest of the pack.
The 40-year-old Brit is hoping to achieve his first major triumph in Scotland, and is the 7/4 favourite with one round left to play.
Westwood has competed in 61 previous major tournaments, and despite making seven top-three finishes in the past five years, he has been unable to clinch top spot.
He has come fourth, third and second in the Open over the past decade, but could be about to end his lengthy wait for a major by lifting the Claret Jug.
But the Worksop-born Golfer – leading the field by two strokes at -3 – is not feeling the heat, as he brushed off suggestions of nerves with a smile ahead of the final session.
“I’m not in a high-pressure situation because I’m going to go have dinner, and I’m so good with a knife and fork now that I don’t feel any pressure at all,” Westwood said.
“I’ll think about winning the Open Championship at some stage, I’m sure. I don’t see anything wrong with that, picture yourself holding the Claret Jug and seeing your name at the top of the leaderboard.
“When it comes to tee-off, I should be in the same frame of mind as I was on Saturday. I felt nice and calm out there and in control of what I was doing.”
However, Woods is waiting in the wings to shatter Westwood’s dreams and add yet another major success to his glittering C.V.
The American is available at 9/4 to secure his 15th major at Muirfield, which would complete his remarkable turnaround after five years without such a triumph.
Woods’ compatriot Hunter Mahan is also on -1 heading into Sunday’s play, but the 31-year-old is a longer shot at 7/1 to emerge victorious on the links course.
Like Westwood, Mahan is yet to taste major success but he has given himself every chance on a final day that could be chaotic if the wind picks up at Muirfield.
Australian Adam Scott is also priced at 7/1 to lift the Claret Jug, to add to his Masters win earlier this season.
Scott produced a horrific collapse at last year’s Open to hand the title to South African Ernie Els, but he could put things right this time around.
Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson head the rest of the field from 20/1.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
