Augusta National brings out the best in Westwood

AUGUSTA, Georgia, (Reuters) – World number three Lee Westwood grabbed the first round lead at the Masters yesterday, once again showing he has the skill set to deal with the unique challenges of Augusta National.

With his five-under-par 67, Westwood has now finished par or better in eight of his last nine rounds at the iconic course which the Englishman described as a “Disneyland for adults.”

There was certainly nothing ‘Mickey Mouse’ about Westwood’s opening round which included a run of four straight birdies on the front nine. “The golf course suits my game. It was originally designed as a second-shot golf course and my iron shots are one of the strengths of my game,” he told reporters. “And, basically, you know, over the years, I’ve just gained experience and learned how to play the golf course.

“I listened to Phil Mickelson do an interview the other day and he said he can get around here when he’s not playing that well, and that is basically because he knows where to miss it and that only comes from experience.”