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Lee Westwood has
never been one to blow his own trumpet, so he was pleased to have an
opportunity on Tuesday to clarify a recent comment in which he appeared
to claim he was the world’s best golfer.

After finishing
runner-up to Phil Mickelson in the Masters at Augusta, Westwood was
quoted as saying: “I’m playing the best golf of anyone. It’s hard to
argue for anyone else. If you are (the best) you might as well say it.
It builds confidence.” Westwood was asked about that comment during a
press conference here ahead of this week’s Quail Hollow Championship.

Misquoted “I’ve
been out here long enough to know that things get just twisted around
slightly to suit people,” the Briton told reporters.

“Somebody asked me, ‘tee to green, do you think you are the best player in the world at the moment’?

“And I said ‘the
way I played at Augusta, which is the last time I played and the last
time all the best players in the world got together, I led the greens
in regulation, so it was very difficult to argue against that the last
time we all played.

“At least talking
to you here now I can tell you the question I was asked and what I
replied.” Westwood has enjoyed a leisurely fortnight break since the
Masters. Last week’s airline shutdown in Europe scuppered a holiday in
Barbados, so he spent the time instead at home in the Midlands in
England.

Back from rest

Now he is back in the United States for this week’s PGA Tour event, as well as next week’s Players Championship in Florida.

“I feel a bit rusty,” continued the world number four, part of a star-studded field headed by Tiger Woods and Mickelson.

“After the Masters,
I felt I needed a bit of a rest, so I’ve been switched off the last
couple of weeks, but I think I’ll sharpen as the week goes on hopefully.

“It’s nice to be
back at Quail Hollow. It’s an old, traditional course that makes you
think a lot. You have to drive the ball well.

“All your game has to be in good shape and once you get on the
greens, there’s some really fast putts out there. These are as quick as
anything.