Lee Westwood admits if he truly believes that Joaquin Niemann is one of the best players in the world
· Yahoo Sports
Lee Westwood finds himself in contention for the title at LIV Golf New York, which Joaquin Niemann leads heading into the final round.
Niemann currently sits top of the leaderboard on 14-under from his first three rounds, with Harold Varner III closely behind on 12-under.
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And it is Westwood who sits in third place on 10-under ahead of Sunday’s final round at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster.
Englishman Westwood has been tasked with discussing his age ahead of the final round of LIV Golf New York, during which he referenced leader Niemann.
Lee Westwood claims Joaquin Niemann is one of the best players in the world
It was suggested to the 53-year-old that a win would be quite an achievement, particularly given that Sam Snead is the PGA Tour’s oldest winner at 52, and Miguel Angel Jimenez is the DP World Tour’s oldest winner at 50.
Westwood responded: “It goes beyond that, really, for me now.
“I’m just pleased to be in good enough shape, my game still be at an elite level where I can compete with these guys that are some of the best in the world.
“Joaco is one of the best players in the world, in my eyes.
“You’ve got Jon Rahm and Bryson [DeChambeau] and Tyrrell [Hatton], and they’re not even in contention this week.
“At 53 years of age, I think it’s quite an achievement to still be mixing it with the youngsters.
“If you go out there and watch us all playing, I’m giving up quite an advantage off the tee.
“Not all the time, I get the occasional one out there, but in general, I’m playing a different golf course, really.”
Niemann currently sits fifth in the LIV Golf individual standings, behind Hatton, Lucas Herbert, DeChambeau and leader Rahm.
And while Westwood’s praise arrives ahead of another possible win, it certainly falls short of Phil Mickelson calling Niemann the best player in the world in 2025.
Lee Westwood enjoying golf with no expectations
Just as Niemann is enjoying his time in the limelight, that mantle once fell upon Westwood, who is a former world number one.
He made the decision to join LIV Golf four years ago, and has now been asked for his expectations, and if he thought that four years later he would still be as competitive as he is now.
“I stopped doing expectations, really,” he said. “With anything to do with golf and what I do, I just expect to… I’m very competitive, and I always just expect to give my best and try 100 percent.
“That’s the only expectation I put on myself. If it’s good enough, it’s good enough. I’ve learned to accept when it’s not good enough anymore, and a lot of that is down to do with I’m just getting a bit older.
“Quite nice to go out there with no real goals or expectations, just play. That’s what getting in the zone is, right? Just playing.”
It would be quite the triumph if Westwood was to emerge victorious in New York, with the veteran currently 28th in the individual standings.
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