Golf:World number two Lee Westwood is hoping this week's Shell Houston Open will provide him with the perfect build-up next week's US Masters.
Westwood is back in action for the first time in three weeks and is confident his game is in decent shape as the countdown to Augusta continues. He was ranked top of the world rankings for almost four months but a slow start to the season saw him overtaken by Martin Kaymer four-and-a-half weeks ago.
The 37-year-old said: "I'm here to try to win. That would be great and I'd take a lot of confidence going into next week with that. I'm looking to play well and hit good shots and take the way I've been hitting shots on the range and striking putts.
"I've seen a big improvement in the three weeks since I last played so I want to take that onto the golf course and play solidly. I'm looking forward to this week and next week and this is generally the time of year I start to play fairly well and get in top form.
"I like to be competitive going into the week of a major, so that's the reason why I play the Shell Houston Open."
Westwood, who will climb back to number one in the world if he finishes in the top two, will tee off alongside Phil Mickelson and defending champion Anthony Kim at the Redstone Golf Club tomorrow.
Even that line-up has a Masters connection, with Mickelson, Westwood and Kim taking the top three spots at Augusta 12 months ago.
Westwood knows the conditions in Texas will not entirely mimic those he can expect in Georgia in a week's time but he expects the speed of the greens to provide valuable practice.
He said: "The main point is they try to get the greens as quick as possible so, when you get to Augusta next week, it's not as big a shock. They're pretty immaculate here and run a great pace."
A strong field also includes fellow top-10 stars Matt Kuchar and Steve Stricker along with major winners Ernie Els and Pádraig Harrington.
A feature of this season, though, has been the number of unexpected winners, most recently Scotland's Martin Laird at last week's Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Gary Woodland and Jhonattan Vegas, both in the field in Houston, also fall into that category, and Westwood added: "Every week out here there's a strong field and you have to play well no matter who's playing.
"You only have to look at the winners this year; they haven't been the predictable ones, there's been a lot of first-time winners, and it just shows the strength in depth of golf at the moment."
Meanwhile veteran Bernhard Langer has been ruled out of playing at Augusta after the two-time winner had thumb surgery last week after a cycling accident. The German evergreen, who has played every Masters since 1983, will be out of action for about two months.
"I'm obviously disappointed that the injury occurred, but especially disappointed with such an important part of my schedule coming up, including The Masters," said the 53-year-old, who has won 14 times and earned over €5million on the seniors circuit in America.
