CNN
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For higher or for worse, for richer or for poorer, for birdie or for bogey: Lee Westwood and his spouse Helen reside each golf couple’s dream at The Open Championship.
The previous world No. 1 rolled again the years to make a powerful begin within the 153rd version of the game’s oldest event at Royal Portrush, Northern Eire on Thursday, along with his partner caddying each step of his two-under 69 opening spherical on a rain-soaked Dunluce Hyperlinks course.
It might be thought-about an unconventional – however not remarkable – association for many gamers, however Westwood by no means had a second considered his alternative on the bag for his ninetieth main look.
“I want to have her caddying for me each time she will be able to,” the 52-year-old informed reporters when he returned to the clubhouse, two photographs off the lead.
“It was a straightforward resolution for me. In all probability tougher for her – she’d reasonably be at house using her horse.”
The on-course partnership started in 2018, the duo defined on “The Remedy Crouch” podcast earlier this month.
“I knew I may deal with the load of the bag and what have you ever, however I didn’t have a bloody clue what I used to be doing,” mentioned Helen, including that she had by no means performed the game earlier than that time.
But it was a transfer that reaped on the spot reward, with Westwood claiming his twenty fourth European Tour victory on their third event collectively. When the pair married in Las Vegas in 2021, their “honeymoon” the next week was spent contesting the US Open in San Diego.
Whereas technical choices on the course, like the selection of membership or shot, begin and finish with the seven-time Ryder Cup champion, psychological issues typically fall upon the caddie’s shoulders.
“Typically, once I’m kicking off and having a little bit of a moan and a bitch, she appears to be like at me and goes, ‘Are you completed?’” Westwood mentioned.
“He’s in an attractive spot doing one thing that he loves. I’m like, ‘Develop up, get on with it,’” Helen added.
With world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and residential hero Rory McIlroy favorites amongst a star-studded subject as The Open returns to Royal Portrush for simply the third time, Westwood arrived as a 500/1 longshot with some bookmakers – however can take coronary heart from the final time the venue performed host on the Causeway Coast.
The Nottinghamshire-born golfer completed tied-fourth in 2019, Helen on the bag as soon as once more, as McIlroy and a number of different huge names have been left reeling by testing situations.
It could actually function hope in his newest bid to shed the undesirable tag as one of the crucial gifted gamers to by no means win a serious. The most effective of his 9 top-10 finishes got here on the Open in 2010, albeit by seven photographs, a yr after he had agonizingly missed out on making the event playoff by a single stroke.
“I like The Open Championship and I like Portrush,” Westwood mentioned Thursday.
“It’s one of many golf programs the place if it wasn’t The Open and anyone mentioned, ‘Do you wish to go and play Portrush this weekend?’ I’d most likely go. And there’s not many programs like that.”
Westwood’s twenty eighth Open begin marks his first since 2022, the identical yr he left the PGA Tour to hitch LIV Golf. He had been competing in a Dallas occasion on the breakaway circuit simply two days earlier than he stamped his ticket for Royal Portrush with a victory in a closing qualifying occasion earlier this month.
He had held a share of the early lead with Denmark’s Jacob Skov Olesen and China’s Li Haotong at four-under par following a fourth birdie of the opening spherical on the twelfth gap, just for bogeys on the 14th and sixteenth to drop him again.
“Hyperlinks golf greater than any golf offers you an opportunity while you’re our age,” Westwood mentioned. “There’s a bit extra run on the ball … you’ve obtained to make use of the situations.”
“Can’t beat a senior identify up there on a Thursday … we’ll speak once more if it’s up there on Sunday,” he added.
