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Westwood questions Tour schedule

Lee Westwood is determined to strike major glory in 2011 © Getty Images

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• Profile: Lee Westwood

Lee Westwood has taken a swipe at the European Tour schedule for next year, as only two events will take place on English soil.

English golf is riding the crest of a wave at present, with Westwood at world No. 1 and Paul Casey, Luke Donald and Ian Poulter inside the world's top 12. Westwood feels golf should be cashing in on the feelgood factor in England and is baffled as to why only the Open and PGA Championship will be played in the country in 2011.

"I can't get my head around it," Westwood told the Daily Express. "English golf has never been so strong, we have 10 world-class Englishmen and we should all be getting together and playing an English Open or a European Open in England, even if the European Tour has to fund it.

"If the Tour want me to be an ambassador for an English Open then I am quite happy to do that."

Westwood feels golf has to keep the fans tuned in and believes initiatives to lived up the game should be considered.

"We have to do something with golf or else it will become staid and people will get bored with it," he said. "Matchplay, round-robin, speed golf where you are on the clock to play your shot - anything that jazzes it up should be considered. You don't want speed golf in the Masters, but there are points during the year where we need to think outside the box."

The winter chill has taken hold in Westwood's native Worksop and it has come at a good time as far as he is concerned, but he would not shy away from the weather if he was out on the range.

"This is the time of year fortunately when I am generally in the gym working on my fitness. I won't hit balls until January," he said. "But I have stood on the range when the rain is coming in sideways and done the same on the chipping area when I haven't really wanted to. Why? In order to get better.

"If you are the best at something you have to put yourself in the position of the people behind you and remember what that felt like. They all want something that I've got. So to retain it, I'm going to have to work harder. Besides, while being world No1 is great, the defining thing in golf and what everyone is judged by is majors, and I still haven't won one."

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