Watching Lee Westwood winning The Race to Dubai reminded me of something I’d written about him in Life’s Lessons Frae The Links

Life’s Lesson # 11 - There’s always a turning point

“This is a big moment, I’m fairly emotional,” said Lee Westwood after winning the 2003 BMW International Open in Munich.

The news of Westwood’s win hit the golfing headlines as I began to write this chapter and the timing couldn’t have been better to inspire me to make my point—There’s always a turning point.

Westwood was in tears as he spoke of this turning point in his life.
He also talked of how he almost gave up the game after three years of misery, which had seen his world-ranking slump from fourth in 2000 to 246th in 2003.

Westwood won seven times in 2000, including the Cisco World Matchplay title. He also dethroned Colin Montgomerie by ending Monty’s seven year reign as the top European golfer.

There’s always a turning point and in this case it appears to be pertinent for both players. Westwood continues on his road to recovery, a gold bar for a hole in one at the German Masters, his first ever albatross at the Dunhill Links Championship, and then going on to win and collect his biggest ever cheque.

Meanwhile, “Monty” needs to remind himself of his namesake Field Marshall “Monty” Montgomery who came back from defeat and the retreat at Alam el Halfa and led his troups to victory at El Alamein—a major turning point in World War II.

Monty’s victory giving Winston Churchill the opportunity to display his famous two-fingered victory sign.

Westwood also had something to say about giving the two-fingered salute of another kind.

“The last three years have obviously been the worst of my career but you find out a lot of things about yourself and people around you, those who have been there and backed you up and those who have disappeared into the background.

I feel like I’m sticking two fingers up to a few people now I’ve won a tournament.”
Lee didn’t lose it and give the two-fingered salute to those friends who didn’t support him and didn’t believe he could turn his game around.

From Life’s Lessons Frae The Links by Stan Sutherland © 2004

Thought for the Day has to be “There’s always a turning point”
I have to believe it ‘cause after the walloping I got at the weekend at the club’s matchplay champs. I have to believe I can turn my game around.

Slainte

Stan