’It’s very special to play in the West Midlands’ says Lee Westwood whose wife is his caddie
LIV Golf star Lee Westwood said it is “very special” to compete close to home as he eyes success in Staffordshire with his wife as caddie.
The 52-year-old from Worksop, Nottingham enters the LIV Golf UK event at JCB Golf and Country Club near Uttoxeter fresh from a tied-34th finish at The Open Championships in Portrush.
His wife, Helen Storey, will be on the bag for him this week and played in an inter-caddie competition during practice day on Wednesday.
The tournament at JCB is the home event for Westwood’s team, Majestics GC, and the Ryder Cup veteran is relishing the chance to play in front of a home crowd.
He said: “I was born and brought up around an hour away, so any time that I get to play in the UK, especially the Midlands, is very special.
“It’s great to be here, you can see what a special place it is and a great venue. It’s a fantastic facility, the practice facilities are incredible, the golf course is improving every year, and it is in spectacular condition this year.
“To say 20 years ago that this was farmland, and now look at what you have got, is testament to JCB and the hard work that they have put in.
“I am looking forward to a great week, the crowds will be great, it will be great playing in front of home fans. We are kind of the home team and will have a lot of support.”
Teammate Ian Poulter is also aiming to put on a show, adding: “We need to perform better as a team. This would be an incredible week for us to do that.
“We have this as our home venue, we are proud of that and the whole team has worked tirelessly hard with JCB to make this a big home event for us.
“We are very excited to go out there in front of more than 50,000 fans, with a much younger demographic and kids that we can play golf in front of. Hopefully we can have a successful week.”
