Lee Westwood has returned to the SJM Macao Open 26 years after lifting the trophy, arriving this week with encouraging recent form and a family subplot. The tournament is being played at Macau Golf & Country Club.
Westwood’s Journey in Macau
The 52-year-old, who first won here in 1999, has long credited regular competition in Asia with accelerating his development, forcing him to adapt to unfamiliar grasses and heat early in his career. He was unable to defend his Macau title the following year, though he did appear again in 2001.
Westwood joins a strong field that includes China’s Li Haotong, Korea’s Sungjae Im, Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho, and defending champion Rattanon Wannasrichan of Thailand.
His results over the past few months suggest he could contend. In June at LIV Golf Virginia, he closed with a 9-under 62 to finish tied for 10th. The next month at The Open at Royal Portrush, he surged on the back nine with a 29, becoming only the second player to achieve that number in the championship’s 153-year history, and finished tied for 34th. He then posted weekend rounds of 65 and 66 at LIV Golf Indianapolis to secure a top-20 result. Westwood has five career top-five finishes at The Open, including runner-up in 2010.
This week he is chasing a 10th career win in Asia. His most recent Asian Tour title came a decade ago at the Indonesian Masters, an event he has won three times.
Macau remains a notable chapter in his early years, when he piled up victories; between 1998 and 2000 he claimed 20 titles worldwide. His 1999 win here came in a sudden-death playoff over American Andrew Pitts, who now works with the Asian Tour’s events team.
The trip also doubles as a family week. Westwood’s wife, Helen, will caddie for him, and his son, Sam, has received an invitation to play. The veteran has made clear he is eager to come out on top of any friendly family rivalry.
As Lee Westwood competes in the SJM Macao Open, fans and fellow competitors alike are excited to see if he can reignite the magic that led to his past successes in Asia.