• Open de France

Westwood hits out following blood-clot scare

Lee Westwood is happy to have been given the all clear © Getty Images

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Lee Westwood has hit out at the rumours that spread on Wednesday concerning his well-being, after being given a clean bill of health following a deep vein thrombosis scare.

Westwood's participation in the Open de France was cast into doubt when it emerged he had been sent for an ultrasound to ascertain if he had a blood clot in his right leg. Tests revealed nothing more sinister than a muscle strain and the world No. 3 felt it would have been better for the media to have waited before raising fears about a blood clot.

"I was struggling with a sore leg and Achilles and calf and went to see the doctor and he had a few concerns so it was better to go off and have an ultrasound and get it checked," Westwood told Sky Sports ahead of his first round at Le Golf National. "These things can be nasty and turn into something more sinister, so it was better to get it looked at and done straight away.

"But in the age of instant news, people are getting things out there quick and sometimes there is no reason for concern, so that is the disappointing thing as far as I was concerned.

"There is no issue, so it is now a case of having some physio on it and keep doing the exercise. I think it is the age more than anything."

Ian Poulter is another player struggling with injury, following a freak incident while at his home.

"The weather has been so good we were out barbecuing in the garden all week; sat out in the garden with the shorts on enjoying the sunshine and in this weather there is lots of little spiders and what-not and I woke up on Tuesday struggling and noticed a bite and more importantly I noticed the glands on my groin were swollen and starting to go red," Poulter said. "Obviously I had an infection and went to the doctor to get some tablets. I came out here and it got worse, but thankfully a French doctor managed to change the tablets and get me on something a bit stronger and that has taken the inflammation down.

"It is a little sore, but is itchy more than anything now so I am trying not to itch it. Hopefully it will be alright."

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