A team player

Steady Westwood emerges as leader

LOUISVILLE - From where he sat - or stood, or crouched, or even laid on the ground - the view was an inspiring one and cemented Lee Westwood's allegiance to the Ryder Cup.

His debut in 1997, alongside the great Nick Faldo?

Certainly that fall at Valderrama in Spain when Westwood matched Tiger Woods's brilliance en route to a stunning Day 2 four-ball win was one for the archives, but no, Westwood's defining moment may have come that cool Sunday in 1989, back when the 16-year-old from Worksop, England, jostled for viewing position beneath the bleachers at the 18th green of the Belfry. What he saw that day ignited his teenage competitive fires - Irishman Christy O'Connor's 2-iron into the final green that sealed a stunning singles win over Freddie Couples as Europe maintained possession of the cup.

Oh, how the cheers shook the ground and the festive singing made Westwood swell up with pride.

"A vivid memory. Very vivid," Westwood would say years later, though on that day what he said to himself was: "Someday, I'm going to be part of all that."

Eight years later, he was, a 24-year-old in just his fourth pro season.

Eleven years beyond that, he still is, this time as the emotional leader of a European team in search of its fourth straight Ryder Cup win.

Leader?

If the word doesn't seem to fit Westwood, it's perhaps because he has never had to wear it. More comfortably it was reserved for Colin Montgomerie, 10 years his senior and a Ryder Cup participant since 1991, or Darren Clarke, five years older and a more gregarious personality, one with whom he shared a great friendship. But leadership of Team Europe?

No, Westwood never thought about that, not in 1997, nor in any of his four subsequent Ryder Cup berths. It was a domain that belonged to Montgomerie and Clarke.

Only on the threshold of the 37th Ryder Cup at Valhalla Golf Club, there is no Montgomerie, nor Clarke, veteran stars who apparently showed not enough form to warrant a pick by captain Nick Faldo. So what's a three-time defending champ to do?

Irishman Padraig Harrington, who made his Ryder Cup debut in 1999, shrugs.

"I think there are other people there who, as a team, that we all take their place," said Harrington. "I do believe Colin was fantastic in a Ryder Cup. He loved that position [as team leader]. There's nobody there to fill his boots . . . but there are a number of players on the team who are voicing their opinion."

Westwood, now 35, being one of them?

"Just trying to be myself," said the Englishman, which means it was accompanied by a sly grin, then a more serious demeanor.

"I would quite enjoy taking on that role. I've got a lot of experience playing in Ryder Cups now and I've got a lot to give back."

Mostly, however, what Westwood has done is take . . . and take . . . and take. Points, that is.

Leading by example

Never one of England's junior phenoms, Westwood was passed over for Walker Cup duty and he met with only moderate success in his first two years as a professional. It was in his third, 1996, however, that Westwood's arrival was announced with a victory in the Scandinavian Masters.

"The European Tiger Woods," pronounced none other than Seve Ballesteros and while it was taken for what it was - a serious case of embellishment - Westwood certainly did his best to make the Spaniard look good when he won again in 1997. It went a long way toward securing a Ryder Cup berth, but because four other rookies made that year's team - Clarke, Thomas Bjorn, Jesper Parnevik, and Ignacio Garrido - captain Ballesteros couldn't depend solely on his veterans. He needed a rookie to emerge, so he tabbed Westwood.

"I could not get the ball on the tee," said Westwood, recalling that opening session when he walked to the first tee alongside Faldo for a four-ball match against Couples and Brad Faxon. The Euros would lose the match, but the signal was clear - Westwood was a integral part of the team. Of the five rookies, he was the only one to play in all five matches, Parnevik getting in four, Garrido three, Bjorn and Clarke two each. All four of his team matches (2-2) came alongside Faldo and though he lost in singles to Jeff Maggert, the Westwood era had begun.

He has yet to sit out a match in any of his five appearances (1997, '99, '02, '04, '06) and his 15 1/2 points make him the most successful of the 24 players who'll tee it up starting tomorrow at Valhalla. Most impressive is his record in the team stuff - 6-2-2 in foursomes, 6-3-1 in four-ball - but it is there where some would put up the caution flag. A good portion of that success - 6-2-0, to be exact - came with his great friend, Clarke, as his partner, four matches (2-2) were with Faldo, and still two more with Montgomerie (0-0-2), meaning that European captains have not exactly given the Englishman chopped liver.

"Obviously, Monty and Darren are not here," said Westwood, who if disappointed by Faldo's decision not to pick Clarke has not showed it. "That's quite different. It's a little bit less experienced team . . . but [we've] got a lot of enthusiasm."

And, he's got Sergio Garcia, the inimitable Spaniard whose Ryder Cup record (14-4-2) accounts for 15 points, nearly matching Westwood's output in one fewer appearance. Together, Westwood and Garcia have gone 4-1-1, including a memorable 2002 effort when they beat David Duval and Davis Love, then Woods and Mark Calcavecchia, then Stewart Cink and Jim Furyk. It is expected that Westwood and Garcia will be paired for at least two of the four team matches, a dynamic duo, to be sure.

In fact, some would argue they are the focal points to the team, replacing Clarke and Montgomerie.

Garcia merely shakes his head. "I am here for the team," he said. "But I'm not going to kick out my chest and say, 'I'm the leader of this team, no.' There are 12 leaders on this team."

No one is buying that, least of all Westwood, whose 25 matches are nearly what 10 of the Americans (six rookies, Cink, Justin Leonard, Kenny Perry, Chad Campbell) have combined for (28). "In my experience," he said, "experience in the Ryder Cup is a massive asset."

Low-key confidence

It brought to mind those days leading into the 1999 Ryder Cup at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass., when a contentious atmosphere existed, the Americans particularly smarting from two straight defeats. Then just a second-time participant, Westwood kept low key, acquiescing to Montgomerie's stature and Clarke's gregariousness. Yet when asked about prospects of a third straight win, the Englishman offered:

"The European team is far inferior to the US team. We are massive underdogs and the US are huge favorites. I don't think anyone in America will give us a chance."

Then, Westwood smiled that playful smile, and proceeded with Clarke to record smashing team victories over Woods and Duval, then Furyk and Mark O'Meara. It set in motion what appeared to be a stunning European win, if not for that historic singles rally by the US. Still, in some ways those words and efforts in '99 served notice that Westwood had leadership qualities and let the record show, the Europeans have not lost since.

Coincidence? Perhaps not.