Westwood hopeful of comeback
World No 2 Lee Westwood, briefly among the top contenders at the PGA Championship, stumbled back with a double bogey in Saturday's third round but still had hope of a last-round comeback.
Westwood fired a par-70 at Atlanta Athletic Club to stand on one-under 209 through 54 holes at the year's final major tournament, well off the pace after a day of putter struggles, including a missed two-footer for bogey at the 14th.
"A major championship will be a lot more pressure but I think one-under is by no means out of it," Westwood said.
The 38-year-old Englishman, whose major near misses included a share of third at the 2009 PGA, birdied the par-five fifth and began the back nine with a birdie, both on five-foot putts, but his stumble at the 14th hurt.
"I've had one bad shot all day, off the 14th tee, not that bad a shot really but in the trap I got an awful lie and got a bit unlucky on the second shot and it rolled back 60 yards and ended up making double anyway," Westwood said.
"Just hit it great all day and close and made nothing."
Westwood was especially disheartened because he said his game was not that far off putting him among Sunday's final groups.
"It's just disappointing because I'm playing such good golf, and I have done for the first three days, but nothing has gone in and just under pressure all the time, so keep playing quality golf and hitting quality shots which you need to make your fair share of 15-footers," Westwood said.
"Misread a couple. Mis-struck a few. And when I hit good ones they did completely the opposite of what I expect them to do or somehow manage to miss."
Having tried to adopt a care-free attitude this week after visits with Dave Stockton and Bob Rotella about the mental side of the game, Westwood was at his wits end what to try next to clear the final hurdle between himself and a major triumph.
"I don't know," Westwood said. "Different religion maybe? I have no idea. I have tried everything else it seems. Just need a bit of inspiration from somewhere and a bit of luck."
The course has surrendered rounds of 65 or lower each of the first three days but Westwood knows he needs to make putts to take full advantage of what is on offer on Sunday.
"I would like to think they are going to drop tomorrow," Westwood said. "But they haven't dropped all year, so why should they change tomorrow?"