Golf: David Leadbetter yesterday admitted when he started working with Lee Westwood in February he did not know whether he could turn him into a winner again.

Westwood had his second victory in five weeks in the Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews on Sunday and an immediate bonus - on top of the £490,000 first prize - was that he qualified for this week's American Express World Championship in Atlanta.

One of the first telephone calls he made yesterday morning was to Leadbetter's mobile so they could arrange a time to continue the work which has already produced such staggering results.

The man who turned Nick Faldo into a major winner back in the 1980s is full of praise for the speed at which the 30-year-old has revived his career after slumping outside the top 250 - from fourth only two years ago.

But Leadbetter said: "It's a tricky situation when you get involved because you never know which way it is going to go - look at Ian Baker-Finch and look at David Duval."

Australian Baker-Finch tried to improve his swing after winning the 1991 British Open, but lost his game completely and eventually gave up the sport and became a commentator instead.

Duval dethroned Tiger Woods at world number one, then captured the British Open at Lytham two years ago. But this season he has made only three halfway cuts, has dropped to 173rd in the world and is not in the top 200 on the US Tour money list.

"The mind is a funny thing and it's easier to bring the swing back than the head back," added Leadbetter. "Lee was at a very low ebb when I first saw him, but I think he knew he could do it.

"It's been more of a mental recovery than anything, but he's now added a few things to his game as well. I said it was going to take a little while, but there were signs early on that he was going to be okay.

"I then told him that he was going to see things happen before the end of the year, but what he's done in the last few weeks has been just fantastic.

"I remember during the rebuilding of Faldo's swing that there were signs and then, boom, there was no stopping him. It's happened more quickly with Lee.

"Switching to a belly putter has been a good move and when you've got the talent, the ability to win and the technique there's not much left really. It's exciting.

"I watched a lot of last week on television and he was swinging it really well. There was one bad shot on the 16th on Sunday, but he still made his par. He's got his power back and more. And he's better equipped now."

Westwood is one of 20 Europeans including Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke in this week's 72-strong field at the Capital City golf club, all competing for a first prize of over a million dollars and the equivalent number of Ryder Cup points.

Tiger Woods defends the title he won at Mount Juliet in Co Kilkenny last year - and where he will return for the event on September 30th next year.

The timing is such that Woods could well make it a double-header with the World Matchplay at Wentworth a week later.

The world number one turned down the chance to play there in two weeks' time because of a clash with a Tiger Woods Foundation junior clinic in America.