Three weeks after retaining the European Open, Lee Westwood has his sights on another successful title-defence following a five-under-par 67 in the opening round of the TNT Dutch Open at Noordwijkse yesterday.
Despite putting "like a chump for most of the day", Westwood tucked himself in just a stroke behind Australian Stephen Leaney - winner of the event two years ago - and Swede Richard Johnson.
Both Westwood and Leaney finished with two birdies after the early pace had been set by Justin Rose, 20-years-old this coming Sunday and finally starting to emerge from the nightmare start to his professional career.
Darren Clarke, trying to reclaim the European number one spot taken from him by Open runner-up Ernie Els, managed only a level-par 72 and can afford no worse than that today if he is to survive the cut. Padraig Harrington led early on, but bogeyed the last two holes for a 69 after calling for treatment for a neck problem.
Westwood, later joined in third place by 1988 champion Mark Mouland, Devon's Roger Winchester, Dane Anders Hansen and little-known local player Ralph Miller, finished a dismal 64th at St Andrews. "It's horses for courses and St Andrews is not one of my courses," said Westwood, who famously last October put the Home of Golf outside his top 200 favourite places - in Fife!
"The Open is a great tournament and one I would love to win. I think I will one day - or at least have a chance to, hopefully. I think Lytham will suit me next year and I like Birkdale, Muirfield, Turnberry, Carnoustie and Royal St George's.
"As soon as I got here I thought that this was my kind of course. It rewards good shots," he added. The implication being that St Andrews doesn't.
Leaney, meanwhile, switched back to the putter which brought him the trophy two years ago - and most of his other wins. "Golfers are always try to find something to get the ball in the hole when they're not playing well," he explained. "You don't believe it's you. If you try something that feels better you want to try it. But it's all mental really - golf is.
"The European Tour stats show I'm outside the top 100 in putting and that tells the whole secret. I've been scoring a lot in the 70-73 range, but the 66 has been missing." He put that right by sinking five putts of between 10 and 18 feet.
Johnson, in his first full season on the circuit, has already finished second in Madeira and he had an eagle and four birdies in another flawless display.
Former World and Dunhill Cup player Mouland, now 39, lost his tour card last season and then failed to come through the qualifying school. He began writing off to sponsors hoping for invitations, but only two offered him a spot.
"I was hoping for a bit of help, especially after 18 years on tour playing just about every week," he said. "Of course, it's been tough. My whole life was turned upside down - suddenly you sit here at home wondering what to do."
After becoming a household name with his fourth-place finish as an amateur in the 1998 Open, Rose missed his first 21 cuts on tour. He had a round of 65 on the Challenge Tour - Europe's "second division" - last week and six more birdies further boosted his belief that good times are not far away.
Miller has a Dutch mother and American father and has dual citizenship, but has so far failed to win a European Tour card.
One of six Dutch professionals invited to take part, he grabbed the chance brilliantly with an inward 31, holing from the fringe once and single-putting the other eight greens as well. Coached by Irishman Tom O'Mahoney, head pro at Noordwijkse, Miller is trying to make the halfway cut for the first time in seven attempts.
