PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – When Lee Westwood skipped The Players in 2011 conventional wisdom suggested it was because he didn’t particularly care for TPC Sawgrass. After a second-round 66 left him tied for third and two strokes out of the lead he had nothing but praise for the Pete Dye design.
“Love the golf course, always have,” the Englishman said. “It’s always suited my game, and I always feel like I’ve played pretty well around here. I’ve had a few top 10s and I’ve had a few chances when it was played in March and when it’s played in May.”
For the record, Westwood has three top-10 finishes in 10 starts at the PGA Tour’s flagship event, most recently a tie for fourth in 2010.
This year the Stadium Course has been particularly accommodating for Westwood. He hasn’t made a single bogey and roared out early on Friday, going 4 under through four holes including a chip-in for eagle at the par-5 11th.