• Ryder Cup

McDowell hopeful about Westwood

ESPN staff
September 15, 2010
Graeme McDowell will make his Ryder Cup debut at Celtic Manor © Getty Images
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Graeme McDowell is hopeful Lee Westwood will prove his fitness, as the US Open champion has admitted it would be an "unbelievably big blow" for Europe's hopes if the world No. 3 is ruled out of the Ryder Cup.

Westwood has not played any competitive golf since pulling out of the Bridgestone Invitational with a calf complaint and only this week has he been able to begin hitting balls on the range. The Englishman said on Wednesday that he was ahead of schedule and confident of proving his fitness to captain Colin Montgomerie.

McDowell is putting the finishing touches to his Ryder Cup preparations at the Austrian Open this week and he has been kept abreast of Westwood's situation.

"My coach Pete Cowen is here this week and he is telling me Lee is starting to play a bit of golf and hopefully he will be ready in two weeks' time," McDowell told Sky Sports News.

"It would be an unbelievably big blow [if Westwood is absent], he is No. 3 player in the world and Europe needs him on the Ryder Cup team and hopefully he gets back to health very soon."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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