Golf:Lee Westwood tried to put his injury worries aside at St Andrews today to keep alive his hopes of replacing Tiger Woods as world number one this weekend. Although pulling out of the Dunhill Links Championship after the recurrence of his calf problem would guarantee Westwood top spot later this month, the 37-year-old can think of no better place to do it than the Home of Golf.
By covering the outward half in a one-under-par 35 — his lone birdie came at the sixth — he was five behind leader John Parry and in a tie for 22nd place. Westwood was down in the dumps after his opening 70 at Kingsbarns and feared he might be advised to withdraw and give his leg another rest.
Last week’s Ryder Cup was his first competitive golf since August 6th, but he was quickly assured it was just fatigue and not another muscle tear. Winner of his first European Tour title in Paris two weeks ago, Parry went to the head of affairs with a back nine of 34 on the Old Course.
He picked up birdies at the 11th and 16th holes in the windy, damp and misty conditions before missing an eight-foot chance to add another on the 18th. That allowed Dutchman Maarten Lafeber to join him out in front over at Kingsbarns, but Parry then birdied the 376-yard first as well.
Joint third on six under were Ryder Cup debutant Ross Fisher, assistant captain Thomas Bjorn, defending champion Simon Dyson, Scot Martin Laird, Spaniard Alvaro Quiros and Swede Martin Erlandsson.
Struggling down on one over, however, was 21-year-old Rory McIlroy on the course where he finished third at the British Open in July after an opening 63 and then a second round of 80.
McIlroy, one under overnight, bogeyed the fourth, birdied the long next, but then had a double-bogey six at the 412-yard sixth.
Padraig Harrington, on the other hand, birdied the first and third to climb alongside Westwood on three under and Monday’s match-winning hero Graeme McDowell picked up shots at the third and fifth to be four under and joint 13th.