England’s Lee Westwood put himself clearly in a Georgia state of mind and in position to become only the second European to win the Shell Houston Open.
Westwood muscled his way to a share of the clubhouse lead with a blistering five under par 67 to end the day trailing just two shots behind the leading American duo of Stewart Cink and Bill Haas.
Westwood who is at nine under par is among 20 players within four shots of the lead heading to the last day of the $6.2m event.
The current World No. 13 ranked Westwood pared his opening seven holes but then played the next nine in five under par including holing a 12-footer at the 16th to move to a share of the lead on 10-under par.
However Westwood’s only mishap of the day was at the next when he three-putted from 40-feet for also his only bogey in a nine-under par total that left him tied with the clubhouse lead with five others including former Open Champion, Louis Oosthuizen (65) and past PGA winner, Keegan Bradley (67).
“That was just the round I wanted after shooting a 72 the day before and it’s helped build a little more confidence,” Westwood said.
“I hit the ball really nicely today, and also a little longer which is nice so I am swinging it much better.”
World No. 13 Lee Westwood has Georgia now on his mind after moving to a then share of the clubhouse lead on day three of the 2013 Shell Houston Open. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)
Westwood’s score is his lowest in 27 rounds of the $6.2m event and also just one stroke more than his best score in 23 rounds on this year’s PGA Tour.
“At the start of the year there had been a lot going in my life and just recently it has just started to calm down a little bit so I can focus more on golf,” he said.
“I’m not 22, 23 years of age where golf is everything in my life and when you’re 40 you have other things to deal with and sometimes that gets in the way of my golf.
“So the start of the year has been fairly slow with regards to finishes although I felt I have been playing well even though I’ve been trying to convert how well I have been hitting it on the range and taking that to the course.
“But then this week I have been starting to do that a lot more and just in time for Augusta the week after next.
“So with the Masters now my next event I am playing well and having played well at Augusta it’s going to be good knowing that I will be taking my game there rather than trying to find it on the Augusta range.”
If Westwood were to win only a third PGA Tour event in America’s fourth largest city he will join Surrey’s Paul Casey (2009) as the second European to win the Shell Houston Open.
And a Westwood or Oosthuizen success in America’s fourth largest city would break an US born dominance on this year’s PGA Tour with American players, including Tiger Woods with three wins, having captured all 13 events this season.
