April 21, 2014 – The Ping staff player Lee Westwood ended a near two-year absence from the winner’s circle in style as he recorded his 40th worldwide career victory by seven shots at the Maybank Malaysian Open. The Englishman started the day one ahead of compatriot Andy Sullivan and moved into a commanding four shot lead before the threat of lightning forced play to be suspended for over four hours at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club.

Any doubts about the former World Number One seeing out the job over the last seven holes when play restarted were quickly extinguished, as Westwood moved six clear with a birdie at the 13th before paring his way to the last, where he sunk a 15 footer for a fourth gain of the day.

Westwood, who won this tournament in 1997 before it became co-sanctioned by The European Tour and Asian Tour, finished seventh at the Masters Tournament and feels his improved form has been helped by changes on and off the course.

“I started working with a new coach a few weeks ago, Mike Walker, and Billy Foster came back on the bag at the end of last year, so I was going back to what I had done before because it had worked,” said Lee Westwood, for whom this was a 13th win on Asian soil.

“It’s started to work already – the last couple of weeks I’ve played well in Houston and at the Masters last week and this week I’ve obviously played very well. It’s a golf course that suits my game; it’s very tight in certain areas. I played well, I putted well, and the short game is good.”

Asked whether he was approaching the form that took him to the top of the Official World Golf Ranking, Lee Westwood added: “It’s got the potential, although now I feel like I’ve got a short game and starting to roll a few putts in. It makes a helluva difference if you can get up-and-down if you miss a few greens and keeps the momentum going.”

What’s in the bag of Lee Westwood?

• Driver: Ping G10 (9º, Aldila XNV6 Tour only-X, tipped 0.75”, 45.25”, D4+, grip Lamkin Xline FC 58 Ribbed +2 wraps)
• Fairway Wood: Ping i15 (15.5º, UST ProForce V2 76-X, tipped 1”, 43”, D2+, grip Lamkin Xline FC 58 Ribbed +2)
• Hybrid: Ping G25 (17º, Aldila Tour Green 85-X, 40.75”, D3, grip Lamkin Xline FC 58 Ribbed +2)
• Irons: Ping i20 (3-PW, True Temper Dynamic Gold X100, +0.25”, 1º upright, D1, PING ID8 White ½ Cord +2 wraps)
• Wedges: Ping i20 (UW 50º, True Temper Dynamic Gold X100, +0.25”, 1º upright, D1, PING ID8 White ½ Cord +2 wraps); Ping Tour Gorge (60º TS, True Temper Dynamic Gold X100, +0.25”, 1º upright, D1, PING ID8 White ½ Cord +2 wraps)
• Putter: Ping Ketsch (Straight stroke type, 34”, 20º lie, 3º loft, SuperStroke Flatso grip)
• Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
• Footwear: FootJoy

Por REDACCIÓN