Rory-Westwood Say Awkward Remarks Of Past Year Are Behind Them...Well Until Rory Added Another
/
“We don’t spend as much time together as we did when we were in the same management group, but that’s understandable,” Westwood said. “But there’s nothing strained about the relationship between the two of us.”
Nor does Westwood imagine the possibility of becoming No. 1 will weigh on him Sunday, an opportunity somewhat mitigated by the fact he’s been there before – for 22 weeks, in fact – while McIlroy has not.
“I’ve been No. 1 a couple of times,” Westwood said. “He may be thinking about it, but my main goal is to play as well as I’ve been playing tomorrow morning and try and win that match.”
McIlroy had a similar take and also dismissed the notion that he would struggle against Westwood, who some considered something of a mentor to the Ulsterman. When asked if he considered the Englishman “a big brother,” McIlroy left no room for ambiguity.
“To be honest not really because you’re going to each tournament to try and win and beat each other. That’s what I always tried to do,” McIlroy said. “I’d look at Darren Clarke or Nick Faldo (as a big-brother type).”
Faldo!? Big brother? More like Grandad!
Brian Keogh reviews some of the past volleys between the two, most of them coming from Westwood.
Many remember his remarks at the Masters last year when McIlroy drove into the cabins left of the 10th and lost the green jacket.
“I’ve played with Rory a lot. When he gets under a bit of pressure he does have a pull hook in his bag,” Westwood said somewhat uncharitably.
Asked about McIlroy’s six shot lead at the halfway stage of the US Open last June, Westwood said: “He’s had leads before.”
Good humoured banter can end in tears sometimes and when asked if he’d always felt the need to take the “precocious” McIlroy down a peg or two over the years, Westwood played the humour card.
“I’d have to go and get a dictionary and find out the definition of precocious first before I answer that question,” he said, flashing a grin.
