Lee John Westwood OBE (born 24 April 1973) is an English professional golfer. Noted for his consistency, he is one of the few golfers who has won tournaments on five continents – Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and Oceania – including victories on the European Tour and the PGA Tour. He has also won tournaments in four decades, the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and 2020s. He was named European Tour Golfer of the Year for the 1998, 2000, 2009 and 2020 seasons. He has won the 2000 European Tour Order of Merit, and the renamed 2009 and 2020 Race to Dubai. He has frequently been mentioned as one of the best golfers without a major championship victory, with several near misses including three runner-up finishes.[3][4][5]

Lee Westwood
OBE
Personal information
Full nameLee John Westwood
NicknameWesty[1]
Born (1973-04-24) 24 April 1973 (age 51)
Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England
Height6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight205 lb (93 kg; 14.6 st)
Sporting nationality England
ResidenceNewcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England
Spouse
Laurae Coltart
(m. 1999; div. 2015)
Helen Storey
(m. 2021)
Children2
Career
Turned professional1993
Current tour(s)LIV Golf
Former tour(s)PGA Tour
European Tour
Professional wins44
Highest ranking1 (31 October 2010)[2]
(22 weeks)
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour2
European Tour25 (8th all-time)
Japan Golf Tour4
Asian Tour8 (Tied-6th all-time)
Sunshine Tour3
PGA Tour of Australasia1
Other3
Best results in major championships
Masters Tournament2nd/T2: 2010, 2016
PGA ChampionshipT3: 2009
U.S. Open3rd/T3: 2008, 2011
The Open Championship2nd: 2010
Achievements and awards
European Tour
Golfer of the Year
1998, 2000, 2009, 2020
European Tour
Order of Merit winner/
Race to Dubai winner
2000, 2009, 2020
European Tour
Players' Player of the Year
2009, 2020

Westwood has represented Europe in ten Ryder Cups. In October 2010, he became the world number one in the Official World Golf Ranking, ending the reign of Tiger Woods, and becoming the first British golfer since Nick Faldo in 1994 to hold that position. He held the number one position for a total of 22 weeks.[6] Westwood and fellow countryman Luke Donald share the distinction of reaching the number one world ranking despite never winning a major. He holds the record of playing in the most major championships without winning one. He is sometimes referred to by his nickname Westy.

Early life

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Born in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, Westwood attended Sir Edmund Hillary Primary School and Valley Comprehensive School (now an Outwood Grange Academies Trust school) in his youth.[7] He has family and heritage in South Wales. Westwood began to play golf aged 13 with a half set bought by grandparents. His father John, a mathematics teacher, took up the game at the same time to encourage his son. A talented sportsman at school, Lee played rugby, cricket and football.

Westwood had a later start at the game than many future tournament professionals, but less than two years later he was the junior champion of Nottinghamshire. He played for England in the Boys Home Internationals in August 1989, and played for Great Britain and Ireland boys team in the Jacques Léglise Trophy in both 1990 and 1991.[8][9][10] In 1991 he won his first important amateur tournament, the Peter McEvoy Trophy. In 1993 he won the British Youths Open Amateur Championship and turned professional.

Professional career

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In 1996, Westwood won his first professional tournament, the Volvo Scandinavian Masters, closely followed by the Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters in Japan. His success continued in 1997, defending his Japanese title and winning the Malaysian Open, the Volvo Masters in Spain, and the Holden Australian Open, beating Greg Norman in a playoff. He also partnered with Nick Faldo in the Ryder Cup that year.

Westwood has won 25 events on the European Tour and has also won tournaments in North America, Africa, Asia and Australia. His most successful year to date has been 2000 when he won seven tournaments worldwide and was ranked first on the European Order of Merit, ending Colin Montgomerie's long run of European Tour dominance. His win on the Sunshine Tour's Dimension Data Pro-am in 2000 made him the first golfer to win events on all 6 of the International Federation of PGA Tours. Ernie Els (2005) and Justin Rose (2017) are the only golfers to have joined him on this list. Westwood took a significant break from the game following the birth of son Samuel Bevan in 2001, and together with a restructuring of his swing under David Leadbetter, led to him being out of contention in tournaments until his 2003 victory in Germany, his 25th worldwide.

Westwood returned to the winners circle in 2007 by winning both the Valle Romano Open de Andalucía and the Quinn Direct British Masters to bring his total European Tour wins to 18. As a result, he moved back into the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking. Westwood finished the 2007 season with five top 10 finishes in the last five events. He carried this form into the 2008 season, starting with two tied second places and a fifth, moving back into the top 20 in the world rankings.[11] At the Masters, Westwood finished tied for 11th and he narrowly missed out on becoming the first European in 38 years to win the U.S. Open, finishing 3rd on level-par.[12]

In 2009, Westwood had two further 3rd-place finishes at major championships, in the Open and the PGA Championship. In October 2009, Westwood ended his two-year wait for a tournament win by winning the Portugal Masters.[13] This was followed the next month with a win at the Dubai World Championship, which also brought with it the inaugural Race to Dubai title.[14]

 
Westwood playing a bunker shot at the 2008 Open Championship

Westwood has played in the Gary Player Invitational charity event several times to assist Player raise money for children in need around the world. Westwood earned a career-best second place at the 2010 Masters Tournament, leading by one shot going into the final day before being overtaken by eventual champion Phil Mickelson.[15] Westwood came through with his 2nd tour victory at the St. Jude Classic the week before the U.S. Open.[16] Westwood claimed another second-place finish at the 2010 Open Championship, although he was a distant runner-up to Louis Oosthuizen. Despite the two 2nd-place finishes at the season's first three majors, Westwood did not compete in the PGA Championship due to injury.

In May 2011, Westwood contested a playoff at the BMW PGA Championship with fellow Englishman and at the time world number two Luke Donald. On the par five 18th, Donald hit his approach shot into the green leaving six feet for birdie. Westwood attempted to follow him in close to the hole but got too much backspin on his pitch and the ball spun back into the water hazard. Westwood eventually chipped up from the drop zone and went on to make double bogey. Donald then holed his birdie putt to win the championship and in the process became the new world number one.[17]

In June 2011, Westwood equalled his best performance at the U.S. Open finishing in a tie for third place at Congressional CC, an event which was dominated by Rory McIlroy. This was the fourth time in his career that Westwood had finished third in a major. In December 2011, Westwood shot the lowest round of his career, a 60, at the Thailand Golf Championship.[18] He followed that up with a 64 to equal the lowest 36-hole total on the Asian Tour[19] and won the tournament by seven shots.[20]

Westwood rejoined the PGA Tour for the 2012 season, stating that "It felt right in a Ryder Cup year" and intimated that he would like to experience the challenge for the FedEx Cup in the end of season playoffs for the first time. In February 2012, Westwood recorded his best ever performance at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship when he reached the semi-finals for the first time. In all eleven previous attempts he had never once made it past the second round. He beat Nicolas Colsaerts, Robert Karlsson, Nick Watney and Martin Laird en route before falling, 3&1, to Rory McIlroy in the semi-finals. He finished in 4th place after losing the consolation match to American Mark Wilson, 1 up.[21] Had he won the tournament, he would have regained the number one ranking.

Westwood continued his fine run of performances in the major championships with a tied third finish at the Masters in April 2012. He finished two strokes behind Bubba Watson and Louis Oosthuizen and bemoaned his putting performance as the reason he did not win the tournament.[22] This was the seventh occasion that he had recorded a top three finish at a major without actually winning one. In April 2012, he successfully defended his title at the Indonesian Masters on the Asian Tour, winning by two strokes. In June 2012, Westwood won the Nordea Masters for the third time, the week prior to the U.S Open, with a five stroke victory over Ross Fisher. This was Westwood's 22nd victory on the European Tour and moved him into ninth place alone on the all time European Tour winners list.[23]

At the 2012 U.S. Open, Westwood was in contention again after firing a three-under-par round of 67 in the third round to position himself three strokes behind the leaders. During the final round, Westwood lost his ball in a tree on the par-four fifth hole after his drive clattered into the pines. The ball was declared lost and he had to play his third shot from the tee, resulting in a double-bogey six which effectively ended his challenge. He finished in a tie for 10th.

In the 2013 Open Championship, Westwood led after 54 holes by two strokes over Hunter Mahan and Tiger Woods. They were the only three players in the field under par for the tournament. Westwood shot a four-over-par 75 in his final round to finish in a tie for third, four strokes back at one-over-par. Phil Mickelson went on to win the tournament with a total of three-under-par, the only player to complete the tournament under par. This was the second time Westwood had taken the lead into the final round of a major championship, with the other being in the 2010 Masters, which Mickelson also won. Westwood has now finished in the top-three eight times in majors without ever winning one.

In April 2015, Westwood won the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters for the third time in his career. He won in a sudden-death playoff over Chapchai Nirat, having held a five-stroke lead at the 54-hole stage. This was Westwood's ninth victory in Asian Tour events.

At the 2016 Masters, Westwood finished joint runner-up with Jordan Spieth, three strokes behind winner Danny Willett. He was briefly only one stroke off the lead during the final round following an eagle on the par five 15th, but bogeyed the 16th to end his chances. This was the third time Westwood has finished as runner-up in a major championship. At the 2016 U.S. Open, Westwood was again near the top of the leaderboard after the first three rounds, but playing in the penultimate group during the final round he fell away badly shooting a round 80 ( 10) to finish T32.

Westwood holds the record for most major championship appearances without winning, surpassing Jay Haas at the 2021 Open Championship, his 88th major.[24]

In an interview with CNN in November 2017, Westwood spoke of his desire to go into the golf course design industry once he had finished playing, saying he would vow to make courses "more playable and enjoyable".[25]

On 11 November 2018, Westwood fired an eight-under 64 to storm to a three-shot victory in the Nedbank Golf Challenge. Westwood's win in Sun City, South Africa claimed his 24th European Tour victory and his first since the 2014 Malaysian Open.[26] The victory was worth $1,250,000.[27] The Nedbank was his first Rolex Series title and third victory at Gary Player Country Club following wins in 2010 and 2011 before the tournament joined the European Tour international schedule. He also won the Dimension Data Pro-Am in 2000 also played at the Gary Player Country Club.[28]

In July 2019, Westwood finished tied for fourth in the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland. He has now finished 12 times in the top five of a major without actually winning. This was his best finish at the Open since 2013 and it earned him entry into the 2020 Masters Tournament. "It's brilliant," said Westwood. "Augusta is a very special place. I've played great there in the past and had a chance to win it. It is another course like Royal Portrush Golf Club that I don't strictly think is a bomber's paradise, although I think it helps. If you've played it a lot and you play it well, there are a lot of repeat winners. It will be lovely to go back."[29]

In January 2020, Westwood won the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on the European Tour. This tournament was part of the Rolex Series. This win meant he had won titles in four different decades on the European Tour. Westwood finished on 19 under par, two shots ahead of Tommy Fleetwood, Matt Fitzpatrick and Victor Perez. The 46-year-old shot a five-under-par 67 at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club to win the event for the first time.[30] In December of that year, Westwood claimed his third Race to Dubai by finishing solo second in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai. At 47 years of age, he became the oldest winner of the title.[31]

In March 2021, Westwood held the 54-hole lead at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He eventually missed out by one shot to Bryson DeChambeau. This was his best result on the PGA Tour since his tied for second place at the 2016 Masters.[32] The following week, Westwood again held the 54-hole lead at a PGA Tour event; The Players Championship. He shot an even-par 72 and finished second by one shot to eventual champion Justin Thomas. He won more than $1.6 million for this finish, the largest official cheque of his career to date.[33]

In June 2022, Westwood was suspended from the PGA Tour for playing in a LIV Golf event.[34] In May 2023, the European Tour announced that he had resigned his membership of the tour.[35]

In April 2023, Westwood turned 50 and became age eligible for senior golf. He applied for entry to the 2023 Senior Open Championship, to be played in late July and for which he had fulfilled several exemption categories. However, in June he was denied entry due to outstanding fines to the European Tour, related to breaching conflicting tournament regulations.[36]

World ranking

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Westwood first reached the top 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking in July 1998[37] and spent a total of 160 weeks in the top 10 between then and August 2001.[38]

Westwood dropped out of top 100 in mid-2002. Returning to the top 100 in late 2003, Westwood's ranking remained in the 20 to 80 range from 2004 and 2007. Early in 2008 he returned to the top 20 where he has remained since. He returned to the top 10 briefly at the end of the 2008 season and again after the 2009 PGA Championship.[39]

On 31 October 2010, Westwood became the World number one golfer, ending the reign of Tiger Woods.[40][41] He remained World number one for 17 weeks,[42] before being replaced by Martin Kaymer who held the top spot for 8 weeks. Westwood regained the number one spot after winning the Indonesian Masters on 24 April 2011[43] and held it for 5 weeks before being replaced by Luke Donald. He spent over 350 weeks in the top-10.[44]

Ryder Cup

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Westwood made his Ryder Cup debut in 1997 where he partnered fellow Englishman Nick Faldo in both sets of fourballs and foursomes. In the 1999 Ryder Cup, he partnered Darren Clarke for the fourballs and foursomes, picking up 2 points. At The Belfry in 2002 he teamed up with Sergio García in a successful partnership in which they won 3 and lost 1 of their four matches.

In the 2004 Ryder Cup, Westwood sank the putt which took Europe's points tally to 14 and thereby ensured that they retained the Cup. Europe eventually won 18½–9½. It was his first victory in singles. He and Darren Clarke were the wildcard selections in 2006[45] and Westwood justified his selection by not losing a game, a feat he had also achieved in 2004. He is the eighth most successful European golfer on points scored, with the second highest scoring rate.[46]

During the 2008 Matches, Westwood sat out for the first session in his Ryder Cup career during the matches after a controversial decision by captain Nick Faldo. The European Team ended up losing to the U.S. 16½–11½.[47] In October 2010, Westwood was a member of the European team that won the 2010 Ryder Cup with a one-point win over the USA.[48]

For the 2012 and 2014 tournaments, Westwood was once again a member of winning teams, with Europe beating USA at Medinah Country Club and Gleneagles.[49] In 2016, his friend Darren Clarke was captain and he was once again chosen as a wildcard, this time part of a losing team for the first time since 2008.[50]

In 2018, Thomas Bjørn selected Westwood as one of his five vice-captains for the 2018 Ryder Cup at Le Golf National, alongside Graeme McDowell, Luke Donald, Pádraig Harrington and Robert Karlsson.[51]

In September 2021, Westwood played on the European team in the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin. The U.S. team won 19–9 and Westwood went 1–2–0 including a win in his Sunday singles match against Harris English.

He is the European player who has the greatest number of appearances in Ryder Cup winning teams (7 wins, 4 losses).

  • Singles: played 11, won 4, lost 7, halved 0
  • Foursomes: played 20, won 9, lost 7, halved 4
  • Fourballs: played 16, won 8, lost 6, halved 2[52]

Personal life

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Westwood married Laurae Coltart, the sister of Scottish Ryder Cup player Andrew Coltart,[53] in January 1999. The couple have two children, Samuel Bevan and Poppy Grace. The two divorced in 2017. After his divorce, Westwood moved back to Europe from his residence in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Westwood now lives in Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne with his wife, Helen Storey, who also caddies for him on tour.[54] The pair married in Las Vegas in June 2021.[55]

He is good friends with fellow Ryder Cup star Darren Clarke and from April 2006 he co-owned a private jet with him.[56]

In 2007, Westwood was presented with an Honorary degree of Doctor of Science by Nottingham Trent University.[57] The University named its sports hall after the golfer in October 2010.[57] He announced the creation of the Lee Westwood Golf School in 2010, which offers young golfers the ability to combine golf training with their education as part of their school life. In addition, since 2010 Westwood has created a Junior Lee Westwood Golf Tour and Lee Westwood Golf Camps.[58] In recognition of his work with young golfers, he was awarded with the Golf Foundation's 'Spirit of Golf' Award just before the Open Championship, an award which was previously held by Gary Player and Tony Jacklin.[59]

Westwood's major passion is horse racing, in which he has had an interest in several successful horses, including Hoof It which won the Stewards Cup twice. Other interests include films, snooker and cars. He is a keen football fan who supports Nottingham Forest. He also supports and sponsors his local semi professional side Worksop Town FC.[60] Westwood is a follower of Dumfries based football club Queen of the South,[61] most likely due to having Andrew Coltart as a former brother-in-law, who himself is a passionate supporter of the Scottish club.[62]

Westwood was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2011 Birthday Honours.[63]

Amateur wins

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Professional wins (44)

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PGA Tour wins (2)

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No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1 6 Apr 1998 Freeport-McDermott Classic −15 (69-68-67-69=273) 3 strokes   Steve Flesch
2 13 Jun 2010 St. Jude Classic −10 (63-68-71-68=270) Playoff   Robert Garrigus,   Robert Karlsson

PGA Tour playoff record (1–0)

No. Year Tournament Opponents Result
1 2010 St. Jude Classic   Robert Garrigus,   Robert Karlsson Won with birdie on fourth extra hole
Garrigus eliminated by par on first hole

European Tour wins (25)

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Legend
Tour Championships (2)
Rolex Series (2)
Other European Tour (21)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1 4 Aug 1996 Volvo Scandinavian Masters −7 (69-75-69-68=281) Playoff   Paul Broadhurst,   Russell Claydon
2 2 Nov 1997 Volvo Masters −16 (65-67-68=200)* 3 strokes   Pádraig Harrington
3 1 Jun 1998 Deutsche Bank - SAP Open TPC of Europe −23 (69-69-61-66=265) 1 stroke   Darren Clarke
4 7 Jun 1998 National Car Rental English Open −17 (68-68-67-68=271) 2 strokes   Greg Chalmers,   Olle Karlsson
5 11 Jul 1998 Standard Life Loch Lomond −8 (69-69-68-70=276) 4 strokes   Robert Allenby,   Dennis Edlund,
  David Howell,   Gary Orr,
  Eduardo Romero,   Ian Woosnam
6 4 Oct 1998 Belgacom Open −16 (67-68-67-66=268) Playoff   Freddie Jacobson
7 25 Jul 1999 TNT Dutch Open −15 (72-68-66-63=269) 1 stroke   Gary Orr
8 2 Aug 1999 Smurfit European Open −17 (69-67-70-65=271) 3 strokes   Darren Clarke,   Peter O'Malley
9 5 Sep 1999 Canon European Masters −14 (69-69-67-65=270) 2 strokes   Thomas Bjørn
10 21 May 2000 Deutsche Bank - SAP Open TPC of Europe (2) −15 (71-69-69-64=273) 3 strokes   Emanuele Canonica
11 25 Jun 2000 Compaq European Grand Prix −12 (68-68-70-70=276) 3 strokes   Freddie Jacobson
12 9 Jul 2000 Smurfit European Open (2) −12 (71-68-71-66=276) 1 stroke   Ángel Cabrera
13 6 Aug 2000 Volvo Scandinavian Masters (2) −14 (63-67-69-71=270) 3 strokes   Michael Campbell
14 24 Sep 2000 Belgacom Open (2) −18 (65-69-67-65=266) 4 strokes   Eduardo Romero
15 31 Aug 2003 BMW International Open −19 (65-68-70-66=269) 3 strokes   Alex Čejka
16 28 Sep 2003 Dunhill Links Championship −21 (70-68-62-67=267) 1 stroke   Ernie Els
17 13 May 2007 Valle Romano Open de Andalucía −20 (72-64-65-67=268) 2 strokes   Fredrik Andersson Hed,   Phillip Archer
18 23 Sep 2007 Quinn Direct British Masters −15 (68-70-70-65=273) 5 strokes   Ian Poulter
19 18 Oct 2009 Portugal Masters −23 (66-67-66-66=265) 2 strokes   Francesco Molinari
20 22 Nov 2009 Dubai World Championship −23 (66-69-66-64=265) 6 strokes   Ross McGowan
21 1 May 2011 Ballantine's Championship1,2 −12 (72-68-69-67=276) 1 stroke   Miguel Ángel Jiménez
22 9 Jun 2012 Nordea Masters (3) −19 (68-64-68-69=269) 5 strokes   Ross Fisher
23 20 Apr 2014 Maybank Malaysian Open1 −18 (65-66-71-68=270) 7 strokes   Nicolas Colsaerts,   Louis Oosthuizen,
  Bernd Wiesberger
24 11 Nov 2018 Nedbank Golf Challenge −15 (71-69-69-64=273) 3 strokes   Sergio García
25 19 Jan 2020 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship −19 (69-68-65-67=269) 2 strokes   Matt Fitzpatrick,   Tommy Fleetwood,
  Victor Perez

*Note: The 1997 Volvo Masters was shortened to 54 holes due to weather.
1Co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour
2Co-sanctioned by the Korean Tour

European Tour playoff record (2–6)

No. Year Tournament Opponent(s) Result
1 1996 Volvo Scandinavian Masters   Paul Broadhurst,   Russell Claydon Won with birdie on second extra hole
Broadhurst eliminated by par on first hole
2 1998 Belgacom Open   Freddie Jacobson Won with birdie on first extra hole
3 2007 HSBC Champions   Ross Fisher,   Phil Mickelson Mickelson won with birdie on second extra hole
4 2008 Quinn Insurance British Masters   Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño Lost to par on third extra hole
5 2009 Open de France Alstom   Martin Kaymer Lost to par on first extra hole
6 2010 Omega Dubai Desert Classic   Miguel Ángel Jiménez Lost to par on third extra hole
7 2011 BMW PGA Championship   Luke Donald Lost to birdie on first extra hole
8 2018 Made in Denmark   Steven Brown,   Jonathan Thomson,
  Matt Wallace
Wallace won with birdie on second extra hole
Thomson and Westwood eliminated by birdie on first hole

PGA of Japan Tour wins (4)

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No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1 10 Nov 1996 Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters −10 (68-70-68=206)* Playoff   Costantino Rocca,   Jeff Sluman
2 16 Nov 1997 Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters (2) −16 (68-68-65-71=272) 1 stroke   Masashi Ozaki,   Naomichi Ozaki
3 15 Nov 1998 Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters (3) −13 (72-67-67-69=275) 2 strokes   Masashi Ozaki
4 22 Nov 1998 Dunlop Phoenix Tournament −13 (68-67-66-70=271) 3 strokes   Darren Clarke

*Note: The 1996 Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters was shortened to 54 holes due to fog.

PGA of Japan Tour playoff record (1–0)

No. Year Tournament Opponents Result
1 1996 Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters   Costantino Rocca,   Jeff Sluman Won with par on fourth extra hole
Sluman eliminated by birdie on first hole

Asian Tour wins (8)

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Legend
Flagship events (2)
Other Asian Tour (6)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1 18 Apr 1999 Macau Open −9 (66-69-70-70=275) Playoff   Andrew Pitts
2 24 Apr 2011 Indonesian Masters −19 (68-66-66-69=269) 3 strokes   Thongchai Jaidee
3 1 May 2011 Ballantine's Championship1,2 −12 (72-68-69-67=276) 1 stroke   Miguel Ángel Jiménez
4 18 Dec 2011 Thailand Golf Championship −22 (60-64-73-69=266) 7 strokes   Charl Schwartzel
5 22 Apr 2012 CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters (2) −16 (65-68-65-74=272) 2 strokes   Thaworn Wiratchant
6 20 Apr 2014 Maybank Malaysian Open1 −18 (65-66-71-68=270) 7 strokes   Nicolas Colsaerts,   Louis Oosthuizen,
  Bernd Wiesberger
7 14 Dec 2014 Thailand Golf Championship (2) −8 (70-71-72-67=280) 1 stroke   Marcus Fraser,   Martin Kaymer
8 26 Apr 2015 CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters (3) −7 (69-74-65-73=281) Playoff   Chapchai Nirat

1Co-sanctioned by the European Tour
2Co-sanctioned by the Korean Tour

Asian Tour playoff record (2–0)

No. Year Tournament Opponent Result
1 1999 Macau Open   Andrew Pitts Won with par on second extra hole
2 2015 CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters   Chapchai Nirat Won with birdie on first extra hole

Asia Golf Circuit wins (1)

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No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory
Runner-up
1 9 Mar 1997 Benson & Hedges Malaysian Open −14 (64-72-69-69=274) 2 strokes   Larry Barber

Asia Golf Circuit playoff record (0–1)

No. Year Tournament Opponent Result
1 1998 Benson & Hedges Malaysian Open   Ed Fryatt Lost to par on second extra hole

Sunshine Tour wins (3)

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No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory
Runner-up
1 6 Feb 2000 Dimension Data Pro-Am −14 (68-67-69-70=274) 5 strokes   Tom Gillis
2 9 Dec 2010 Nedbank Golf Challenge −17 (68-64-71-68=271) 8 strokes   Tim Clark
3 7 Dec 2011 Nedbank Golf Challenge (2) −15 (68-70-62-73=273) 2 strokes   Robert Karlsson

PGA Tour of Australasia wins (1)

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Legend
Flagship events (1)
Other PGA Tour of Australasia (0)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory
Runner-up
1 30 Nov 1997 Holden Australian Open −14 (68-66-68-72=274) Playoff   Greg Norman

PGA Tour of Australasia playoff record (1–0)

No. Year Tournament Opponent Result
1 1997 Holden Australian Open   Greg Norman Won with par on fourth extra hole

Other wins (2)

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No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1 9 Oct 2000 Cisco World Match Play Championship 38 holes   Colin Montgomerie
2 16 Nov 2003 Nelson Mandela Invitational
(with   Simon Hobday)
−15 (65-64=129) 2 strokes   Hugh Baiocchi and   Tim Clark

Other playoff record (0–1)

No. Year Tournament Opponent Result
1 2000 Nedbank Golf Challenge   Ernie Els Lost to birdie on second extra hole

Results in major championships

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Results not in chronological order in 2020.

Tournament 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
Masters Tournament T24 44 T6
U.S. Open T19 T7 CUT
The Open Championship T96 CUT T10 T64 T18
PGA Championship T29 CUT T16
Tournament 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Masters Tournament CUT 44 CUT CUT T30 T11 43
U.S. Open T5 CUT T36 T33 T36 3 T23
The Open Championship T64 T47 CUT CUT 4 CUT T31 T35 T67 T3
PGA Championship T15 T44 CUT CUT CUT T17 T29 T32 CUT T3
Tournament 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Masters Tournament 2 T11 T3 T8 7 T46 T2 T18
U.S. Open T16 T3 T10 T15 CUT T50 T32 T55
The Open Championship 2 CUT T45 T3 CUT T49 T22 T27 T61
PGA Championship T8 CUT T33 T15 T43 85 T67
Tournament 2019 2020 2021 2022
Masters Tournament T38 CUT T14
PGA Championship CUT T71 CUT
U.S. Open T13 T46
The Open Championship T4 NT T59 T34
  Top 10
  Did not play

CUT = missed the half way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
NT = No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

Summary

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Tournament Wins 2nd 3rd Top-5 Top-10 Top-25 Events Cuts made
Masters Tournament 0 2 1 3 6 11 21 17
PGA Championship 0 0 1 1 2 6 24 15
U.S. Open 0 0 2 3 5 10 20 17
The Open Championship 0 1 2 5 6 8 27 21
Totals 0 3 6 12 19 35 91 70
  • Most consecutive cuts made – 14 (2014 PGA – 2018 Open)
  • Longest streak of top-10s – 3 (twice)

Results in The Players Championship

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Tournament 1998 1999
The Players Championship T5 T6
Tournament 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
The Players Championship T48 CUT CUT T22 T38 CUT
Tournament 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
The Players Championship T4 T61 T8 T6 CUT T65
Tournament 2020 2021 2022
The Players Championship C 2 CUT
  Top 10
  Did not play

CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
C = Cancelled after the first round due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Results in World Golf Championships

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Results not in chronological order before 2015.

Tournament 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Championship T4 2 NT1 T35 T13 T51 T32 T34 T61 T30 T18 T29 T25 T34 T12 T28 T33
Match Play R64 R32 R32 R64 R32 R64 R64 R32 R32 R32 R32 4 R64 R64 R16 T38 T17 T56
Invitational T33 T20 WD T15 T46 T9 T24 WD T22 T2 9 WD T9 70 T40 T19 T17 T47
Champions T8 2 T13 T6 T55 T20 T51 29
Tournament 2020 2021 2022
Championship T22 T61
Match Play NT2 T18 T35
Invitational T31
Champions NT2 NT2 NT2

1Cancelled due to 9/11
2Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic

  Top 10
  Did not play

QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = Tied
WD = Withdrew
NT = No tournament
Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.
Note that the Championship and Invitational were discontinued from 2022.

Career earnings and year-end ranking by year

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Season PGA Tour ($) Rank European
Tour (€)[64]
Rank OWGR
Avg. points Rank
1994 171,251 43 1.04 252
1995 6,380 266 112,608 75 0.67 258
1996 600,171 6 2.45 64
1997 155,645 138 824,205 3 5.26 23
1998 599,586 46 1,140,141 3 8.65 8
1999 384,097 106 1,320,805 2 7.85 6
2000 293,303 n/a† 3,125,147 1 9.46 5
2001 76,821 n/a† 390,613 52 3.26 28
2002 94,710 n/a† 308,339 75 0.84 182
2003 63,590 n/a† 1,330,713 7 2.00 65
2004 526,899 n/a† 1,592,766 7 3.21 24
2005 501,267 142 724,865 27 2.57 41
2006 630,566 130 960,304 24 2.39 49
2007 288,280 177 1,420,327 10 3.27 23
2008 1,550,880 57 2,424,642 3 4.73 10
2009 1,085,414 n/a† 4,237,762 1 6.60 4
2010 3,399,954 n/a† 3,222,423 3 9.24 1
2011 970,446 n/a† 2,439,601 5 8.06 2
2012 3,016,569 24 1,671,456 12 6.03 7
2013 2,081,731 31 1,299,694 15 3.69 25
2014 1,223,104 85 1,072,448 27 3.28 26
2015 946,628 108 936,845 38 2.58 50
2016 1,026,810 n/a† 1,828,802 13 2.64 42
2017 280,266 n/a† 1,239,846 28 2.01 64
2018 37,637 n/a† 1,908,089 17 2.05 62
2019 503,500 n/a† 1,226,289 36 2.03 59
2020 280,000 n/a† 2,279,736 1 6.36 36
2021 3,435,368 30 384,456 107 5.379 37
Total* 23,459,451 71 38,427,980 1

*As of 2021 seasons.
†Non-member earnings.

Team appearances

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Amateur

Professional

Ryder Cup points record
1997 1999 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2021 Total
2 2 3 4.5 4 1 2.5 2 2 0 1 24

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Myers, Alex (14 November 2019). "Lee Westwood got up and down from this hideous buried lie in a bunker". Golf Digest.
  2. ^ "Week 44 2010 Ending 31 Oct 2010" (pdf). OWGR. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  3. ^ Ferguson, Doug. "Westwood of England Now Considered Best Player to Never Win a Major". PGA of America. Associated Press. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  4. ^ Myers, Alex (August 2013). "The 11 Best Golfers Without a Major". Golf Digest. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  5. ^ "All-Time Best Without a Major". Golf Magazine. Archived from the original on 16 December 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  6. ^ "Official World Golf Ranking". Archived from the original on 25 May 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  7. ^ "Lee Westwood". www.leewestwood.golf. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  8. ^ Giles, Karen (12 August 1989). "England's rout poses question over format". The Glasgow Herald. p. 17.
  9. ^ "British boys home international". The Guardian. 13 August 1990. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Boys' international". The Guardian. 12 August 1991. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Week 4 2008 Ranking" (PDF). Official World Golf Ranking. 28 January 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 June 2008.
  12. ^ "Westwood Hails US Open Campaign". BBC Sport. 16 June 2008.
  13. ^ "Westwood secures Portugal victory". BBC Sport. 18 October 2009. Retrieved 24 October 2009.
  14. ^ "Lee Westwood wins Race to Dubai title". BBC Sport. 22 November 2009. Retrieved 22 November 2009.
  15. ^ Reason, Mark (11 April 2010). "Masters 2010: Phil Mickelson holds off Lee Westwood to claim third green jacket". The Telegraph. Retrieved 12 April 2010.
  16. ^ Walker, Teresa (13 June 2010). "Westwood wins 2nd PGA title in playoff in Memphis". Yahoo News. Memphis. AP. Retrieved 13 June 2010.[dead link]
  17. ^ "Donald overtakes Westwood at the top of the world rankings". BBC Sport. 29 May 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
  18. ^ "Lee Westwood leads after shooting career-best 60 in Thailand". BBC Sport. 15 December 2011. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
  19. ^ "Lee Westwood follows career-best 60 with round of 64". BBC Sport. 16 December 2011. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
  20. ^ "Lee Westwood triumphs by seven shots at the Thailand Open". BBC Sport. 18 December 2011. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  21. ^ "Lee Westwood makes run to semis in WGC Match Play". PGA Tour. 26 February 2012. Archived from the original on 28 February 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  22. ^ "Westwood bemoans putting at Augusta". Sky Sports. 10 April 2012. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
  23. ^ "Lee Westwood wins Nordea Masters for the third time". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  24. ^ "Masters 2017: Key numbers to know ahead of Sunday's final round". PGA of America. 9 April 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  25. ^ Inglis, Martin (6 November 2017). "Lee Westwood: Golf needs to be 'more playable'". bunkered.
  26. ^ "Lee Westwood charges to Nedbank Golf Challenge victory". Sky Sports. 11 November 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  27. ^ "2018 Nedbank Golf Challenge purse, winners share, prize money payout". 11 November 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  28. ^ "With this win-Lee Westwood". 11 November 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  29. ^ Wilson, Jeremy (21 July 2019). "Lee Westwood's Royal Portrush renaissance comes with bonus of 2020 Masters spot". The Telegraph. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  30. ^ "Abu Dhabi Championship: Lee Westwood wins by two shots". BBC Sports. 19 January 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  31. ^ "Lee Westwood seals Race to Dubai; Matt Fitzpatrick wins DP World Tour Championship". Sporting Life. 13 December 2020.
  32. ^ "Bryson DeChambeau edges out Lee Westwood at Arnold Palmer Invitational". The Guardian. 8 March 2021.
  33. ^ Cannizzaro, Mark (15 March 2021). "Lee Westwood content with second best at Players Championship". NY Post. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  34. ^ Chappell, Bill (9 June 2022). "The Saudi-backed LIV Golf tees off, and the PGA Tour quickly suspends 17 players". National Public Radio. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  35. ^ Dempster, Martin (3 May 2023). "LIV Golf quartet, including Lee Westwood, resign as DP World Tour members". The Scotsman. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  36. ^ Cradock, Mike (15 June 2023). "Lee Westwood And Richard Bland Denied Entry To Senior Open". Golf Monthly. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  37. ^ Official World Golf Ranking – 12 July 1998
  38. ^ Official World Golf Ranking – 5 August 2001
  39. ^ "Week Ending 16 August 2009" (PDF). Official World Golf Ranking. 16 August 2009. Retrieved 18 August 2009.[permanent dead link]
  40. ^ "Lee Westwood becomes world number one as Kaymer falters". BBC Sport. 31 October 2010.
  41. ^ Garside, Kevin (1 November 2010). "Lee Westwood wrests world No 1 ranking off Tiger Woods". The Telegraph. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
  42. ^ Official World Golf Ranking – 31 October 2010[permanent dead link]
  43. ^ "Lee Westwood wins Indonesian Masters to regain top spot". BBC Sport. 24 April 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
  44. ^ "Lee Westwood - Advanced Statistics". Official World Golf Rankings Advanced Statistics.
  45. ^ "Clarke and Westwood confirmed as Ryder Cup wildcards". Irish Independent. 3 September 2006. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 3 September 2006.
  46. ^ "European players record". Ryder Cup. 7 March 2008.
  47. ^ "Westwood targets Faldo's record". This is London. 7 March 2008. Archived from the original on 16 April 2008.
  48. ^ Dorman, Larry (4 October 2010). "McDowell Lifts Europe to Ryder Cup Victory". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
  49. ^ Corrigan, James (20 September 2014). "Europe's Lee Westwood relishing his role as US tormentor-in-chief at Gleneagles". The Telegraph.
  50. ^ "Ryder Cup 2016: USA Regains Trophy At Hazeltine – How It Happened". Ryder Cup. 2 October 2016.
  51. ^ "Lee Westwood named among Thomas Bjorn's vice-captains for Ryder Cup". The Independent. 22 May 2018.
  52. ^ "Lee Westwood". Rydercup.com. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  53. ^ "Lee Westwood". BBC Sport. 18 September 2006.
  54. ^ "Westwood opens new facilities".
  55. ^ "Lee Westwood and caddie girlfriend get married before US Open". New York Post. 16 June 2021.
  56. ^ "The Man". Lee Westwood Archive Site. Archived from the original on 14 December 2007. Retrieved 22 November 2007.
  57. ^ a b "University names sports hall after golfer Lee Westwood". BBC News. 22 October 2010. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
  58. ^ "Lee Westwood Golf". Lee Westwood. ISM. 2009. Retrieved 29 July 2009.
  59. ^ "Westwood recognised for contribution to junior golf". The Open. Archived from the original on 17 July 2009. Retrieved 29 July 2009.
  60. ^ Lee Westwood remains close to his family values[dead link] Times Online, 15 September 2008
  61. ^ "Twitter". twitter.com.
  62. ^ "In brief: Lee Westwood, Sir Alex Ferguson". Queen of the South FC.
  63. ^ "No. 59808". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 June 2011. p. 13. Lee Westwood receives an OBE from The Queen, Short movie from The Royal Channel
  64. ^ "Lee Westwood – Career Record". PGA European Tour.
  65. ^ Westerberg, Anders (September 1991). "Svenska Guldgrabbar! Internationellt, EM Boys" [Swedish Golden Boys! International, European Boys' Team Championship]. Svensk Golf (in Swedish). No. 9/1991. pp. 73, 81. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  66. ^ "11th European Boys Team Championship 1990, The complete results of the championship" (PDF). European Golf Association. 11–15 July 1990. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
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