Lee Westwood's European Tour Race to Dubai victory bucks trend towards youth

Westwood has had his fiancee Helen Storey as his caddie for numerous tournaments since late 2018

It is hard to recall a more popular triumph in European golf than Lee Westwood's victory in the Race to Dubai.

The 47-year-old Englishman epitomises a circuit he has graced since 1994 and it was fitting he should provide such a remarkable climax to one of the most extraordinary seasons in the European Tour's history.

It took pluck, perseverance and talent for the circuit to stage a genuinely worthwhile schedule in this Covid-ruined year. Those same qualities can be attributed to Westwood, the player who emerged top of the pile last Sunday.

His longevity and continued excellence in a sport that grows ever more youthful is quite staggering. The average age of a top 50 player is just under 33, more than 14 years younger than the Worksop-born veteran, whose world ranking matched his age last week.

At Jumeirah Golf Estates, Westwood's nerve held in a way one might associate with the audacity of youth as he hunted down the top-two finish needed to secure a third order of merit crown.

The first of those came 20 years ago at Valderrama in Spain. Since 2009 the European Tour's seasons have ended in the Middle East and Westwood romped through the inaugural Dubai finale for his second money list title.

Within a year of that triumph the Nottinghamshire star, who took up the game aged 13 with a half set of clubs, had risen to the top of the world rankings.

In a career that has yet to yield a major victory, despite many a near miss, rising to number one in the world is surely the crowning individual moment. But this latest accolade is also right up there in his list of career achievements.

At last week's DP World Tour Championship, Westwood was making his 567th start on the European Tour. His back was sore, he had hardly played in the build up and had it not been such a prestigious event he would not have turned up.

"I had no expectations," Westwood admitted. "I had hit balls for about 45 minutes, maximum, at any one period of time for the previous two and a half weeks."

He was grateful to the tour's physio staff who pushed, pulled and prodded him into sufficient shape to compete. Then, with new driver in hand, he was smashing tee shots further than ever.

And there was a constant smile on his face, regardless of how a hole panned out. The dynamic of playing with fiance Helen Storey as caddie is clearly hugely beneficial.

"She gives me a reality slap every now and again," Westwood admitted. "And that's the kind of thing I need, and not to get carried away and blow it out of proportion.

"We obviously get along very well, and it's a nice environment to play golf in."

Westwood brought star quality to the 2020 European Tour season, winning early in Abu Dhabi before hosting the British Masters at Close House as the sport emerged from coronavirus lockdown.

He found playing without crowds in a Covid-secure bubble somewhat unnerving but recognised it was a vital period for his home tour. "It didn't look good for a period of time there and we played every week pretty much," Westwood said.

"That's a phenomenal achievement. We still have to come to tournaments and go through all the protocols and wear masks in certain places, and we're not allowed to be with people who we want to be with; we're all in these bubbles.

"So to take all those different kind of things into consideration, to actually play tournaments and play a full tour this year has been an incredible job by everybody at the Tour."

It should be pointed out that this has been a season like no other and the Race to Dubai was skewed by the vast sums at stake in the final event compared with most of the year.

Since winning in January, Westwood's best result on the European Tour was a share of 10th at Valderrama in September, until he finished runner up to fellow Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick last Sunday.

Most money list winners have multiple titles to their name and it is premature to assume the continent's re-crowned number one is a certainty for Padraig Harrington's team to defend the Ryder Cup next year.

But the nerve that was in abundance in the final stages last Sunday would be of massive benefit to Europe at Whistling Straits in September were Westwood to make a record-equalling 11th appearance.

His approach to birdie the 16th last Sunday was typically brilliant, his par save at the next took sheer guts as did his up and down from a greenside bunker to pick up a decisive shot at the last.

It was glorious golf, having hit a barrage of stunning iron shots throughout the final round.

In terms of the Ryder Cup, he is too experienced to take anything for granted. "If I qualify for the team then I'm clearly good enough," he said. "I'm not going to say it's one of my goals for next year because you should never make Ryder Cup one of your goals.

"You should break it down to try and play well each tournament. But I could see it happening," he added.

In the meantime Westwood will continue to train his body and mind to continue competing. Now ranked 36 in the world he is assured a place in next year's biggest tournaments, the majors and WGC's, which is just as he would want it.

"The motivation's never changed," he said. "I get to get up each day and do the job I love. I've always wanted to be a golfer, and I don't want it to end."