Lee Westwood has been here before: leading The Players Championship after 36 holes. The difference is, the Englishman was 31 and 36 years old respectively on the two previous occasions. Now, he is 47 and continually shakes his head at the realisation. “I’m 48 next month,” he says.
In 2005 and 2010, Westwood went on to finish in a tie for 22nd and fourth at the PGA Tour’s flagship event after holding the halfway advantage. After last week’s second at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, expect him to replicate the latter performance instead of the former.
At this time of year, the Worksop man has become accustomed to being usually either at Cheltenham or working out his bets for Cheltenham. On this weekend, he is at the front leading the chase to the $2.7million (£1.94m) first prize.
Without a bogey on his scorecard in his second-round 66, Westwood would hardly be the most ludicrous Sawgrass outsider to remain on his feet at the Stadium Course to prevail. He is ranked 31st in the world and in December was crowned European No 1 again after winning the order of merit title for the first time in 11 years.
Westwood is well used to rolling back the years and the manner in which he is rolling in the putts suggests that Ponte Vedra could indeed witness something special. Although Westwood clearly does not believe it would represent too great a shock.
“I believe I’ve played some of my best golf over the last year and a half and had some good results against quality fields,” he said. “I won in Abu Dhabi last year and then finished second in Dubai at the end of last year to win the Race to Dubai, when I played great under pressure to birdie two of the last three holes. Last week I obviously played well under pressure again behind Bryson [DeChambeau, who won by one], and this week I’ve carried it on.
“You know, you might tell me that I was in the lead at halfway here in 2010. But I was a pretty good player then — I was world No 1, that year. So I don’t like to judge the 2021 Lee Westwood against the 2010 Lee Westwood because I’m a different person. And it wouldn’t be fair on me now.”
Certainly, he has become a more accomplished chipper and if he carries on making the saves he did in this round boasting six birdies, he could take some stopping. On nine-under, he is one clear of compatriot Matt Fitzpatrick (68) with Spain’s Sergio Garcia (72) and American Chris Kirk in a tie for third. And with fiancé Helen Storey as his caddie, Westwood appears to be more at peace on the fairways than ever before.
“There’s not a shot out there I’m afraid of,” Westwood said. “There’s not a shot out there I’ll walk up to and think, ‘I haven’t got this one’. I feel my technique is good on everything. I can hit a low-drive stinger when I need to; I can hit a long-iron into a green when I need to and flight it high. If I get out of position I can nip one off the turf and put some spin on it like I did on the ninth [his final hole, which he birdied]. I’m comfortable out there with everything.”
If only Rory McIlroy could say the same. After his opening 79, the defending champion was, at the very least, looking for a low round to head home to his southern Florida home on a positive note. Alas, he could only manage a 75 for a woeful 10-over total and miss the cut by a humiliating 10 shots.