Lee Westwood is not just battling the likes of Rory McIlroy on this star-studded Desert Classic leaderboard, but also the after-effects of Covid-19. And as an asthmatic 48-year-old that is not a handicap that should be taken lightly.
The Englishman looked exhausted after he walked off the Majlis Course here, wiping his brow and letting out a deep sigh. A second successive 69 had taken him to six-under and put him in contention going into the weekend on what is remarkable his 26th appearance in this $8m event. But he was clearly feeling it.
“I’m six rounds into my year and happy after last week [in Abu Dhabi where he finished 20th] and now here because I felt I was starting off this year a bit behind the eight-ball,” he said. “I had Covid in December which led to a chest infection and because I suffer from asthma it really has knocked me back. I was two weeks on the couch and that isn’t like me. I still feel tired now, very much so.
“Last week was the first time I’ve walked 18 holes since playing at the Houston Open, which was more than two months ago. It’s draining, yeah. I don’t feel like I can get as much air into my lungs at the moment. I’m surprised how bad I was over Christmas and that it has run over to now. Let’s just say I’m glad I was vaccinated.”
Westwood is in a tie for 10th in a group also containing countrymen Tommy Fleetwood (71) and Paul Casey (68), the defending champion. Having been second three times since first teeing it up as a 22-year-old in 1995 – two years before Collin Morikawa, the world No 2 who is currently in a tie for 25th, was born – this is a title Westwood dearly craves.
“This is on my list as one of the ones that got away and I’d like to put that right,” he said. “It’s been good solid stuff, but somebody asked me if I’d take another two 69s and I wouldn’t. Because I’m not sure that would be enough and I’m only here to win.”
The world No 41 is five behind Justin Harding (68), the South African who holds a two-shot advantage over another Englishman in Tyrrell Hatton (66). Then comes Fabrizio Zanotti and Erik Van Rooyen on eight-under in a tie for third, with McIlroy in the bunch on seven-under.
McIlroy’s 66 was a fine tee-to-green exhibition. “Could have been way lower,” he said. “I certainly hit the ball well enough for it to be lower. I missed a few opportunities, but with the way these new greens are, they get a bit chewed up in the afternoons and start to wiggle a little bit. But they are pretty quick as well and you don’t want to be giving them too much of a run at the hole.
“I hit the ball as good as I’ve done in a long time and I left quite a few out there, but 66 is a good score and sets me up for a nice weekend. This was the first event I ever won as a pro [as a 19-year-old in 2009] and I’d love to make it a hat-trick of Dubai Desert Classics.”
