Lee Westwood followed back-to-back runner-up finishes on the PGA Tour by making an early exit from the Honda Classic; former world No 1 will return to action on Wednesday at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play - watch live on Sky Sports Golf
Friday 19 March 2021 20:30, UK
Lee Westwood admitted his busy PGA Tour schedule had taken its toll after missing the cut at the Honda Classic.
The 47-year-old was playing his fourth event in as many weeks on the PGA Tour, having followed a runner-up finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational by claiming second spot behind Justin Thomas at The Players in recent weeks.
Westwood admitted his age had caught up with him after the final round at TPC Sawgrass on Sunday, although still played 54 holes at Augusta National before making the trip to PGA National.
The Englishman battled to a level-par 70 on the opening day but struggled in the second round, racking up three double-bogeys, three bogeys and making just one birdie in an eight-over 78.
"I think we both know that this was probably a tournament too far for me, after the run I've had the last two weeks," Westwood said. "But I felt like I should play here this week.
"In an ideal world this would have been a week off after finishing second the last two weeks. What can you do? Just felt like one I had to play. Kind of glazed over out there I was so tired.
"Yesterday's was really good. I really ground it out and it took me two birdies to make it a pretty respectable score. I hit some good shots today, but the body was just telling me that there was no fuel left in the tank.
"I got a weekend off, so I'll just take it easy over the weekend, do a lot of stretching and mobility work and try and sleep past half-past five like it was this morning."
Starting on the back nine, Westwood double-bogeyed the 11th after finding water with his approach and missed a three-footer to save par at the 14th, before losing further ground by failing to get up and down from a greenside bunker at the par-five third.
Westwood took three attempts to up a bank on his way to a double-bogey at the fourth and experienced more issues around the greens with a double-bogey at the seventh, with a birdie at the eighth then cancelled out by a final-hole blemish.
The Englishman will tee it up again at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, which begins on Wednesday, before taking a much-needed week off ahead of The Masters next month.
"I've had a look at Augusta already, so, yeah, I'm looking forward to all the tournaments coming up," Westwood added. "But I'm looking forward to the rest the most this week."
Watch the Honda Classic throughout the weekend live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues on Saturday with Featured Groups from 11.15am on Sky Sports Golf.
