Tom Green: My Dad Is Lee Westwood
Lee Westwood of England talks with his caddie and son Sam Westwood during the first round of The Honda Classic at PGA National Champion course on March 18, 2021 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images).
It is said that the apple never falls far from the tree, and when that tree is golfing legend Lee Westwood, 40 worldwide wins, 22 weeks as no.1 golfer in the world and 6 victorious Ryder Cups under his belt, that tree can cast an awfully long shadow.
But how would it feel to be the son of that man? A son attempting to make his own way in a game that is infamously unforgiving? Would your dad’s achievements feel like a mountain you would never see the summit of, or would you use the power that your second name gives to push harder than your old man ever did. Maybe even topping his achievements and creating a greater legacy.
I plan on finding out.
I plan on doing this because I know someone who finds himself in this very unique position. That man being Sam Westwood. Lee’s only son and the one having to give the above a shot.
As a golfer making his way up through the lower ranks of the sport Sam is attempting the unthinkable, he is attempting to match the legacy of his farther, a global golf icon and one of Britain’s finest sporting exports... come on the guy has an OBE.
And there is no doubting Lee’s golfing pedigree, he became the oldest winner of the Race to Dubai in 2020, he had his first career win in 1996 and bar winning a major, he finished runner up three times, he has done it all.
“Sam does admit that he wished he had taken more of an interest in those early years.”
Not only is the legacy hard to match, following in your dad’s footsteps is not always a sure fire path to success, see Michael Jordan’s son Marcus who never managed to escape the shadow of his dad and found the limelight challenging.
But, on the other hand, golf has a way of championing the children of our favourite stars. Everyone loves seeing Charlie Woods strike it like Tiger while copying his dad’s mannerisms, and witnessing him grow up over the years via the PNC championship has been a joy. But that level of expectation must be overwhelming, it is only a matter of time until Charlie hits the Korn Ferry tour in the US and everyone will be expecting him to match his dad’s levels from day one. I do not envy Charlie, that must be a weight which requires broad shoulders to handle.
I do however envy the life of John Daly II, following in your dad’s footsteps here means a lifetime of free food at Hooters and a natural swing from the gods. These are shoes I would happily try and fill any day of the week. Calling John Daley an athlete is everything I love about this sport.
Lee Westwood of England poses with his son and caddie Sam Westwood during the pro am ahead of the Andalucia Valderrama Masters at Real Club Valderrama on October 17, 2018 in Cadiz, Spain. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images).
Anyway, I have got distracted, back to Sam. I want to dial the clock back to when I first met him, it was June of 2021 and after a few brief conversations on Instagram I was making the drive up the Newcastle to meet him at Close House and play a lovely late summers afternoon round of golf. Is there anything better? 18 holes in the sun with a proper player - I think not.
The life that Sam finds himself leading is illustrated perfectly by the setting of Close House - a beautiful golf course in the North-East of England, boasting members from the world of sports and entertainment. It is a wonderful spot, I highly recommend. The whole venue is an ode to Lee Westwood, with pictures of the man all over the walls, his clubs scattered around the place and various bits named after him. I have got to say, it is very cool. They really love him there. But to be there as the man’s son, you start to understand the tricky path Sam is attempting to tread.
To play around Lee’s home club with his son was a privilege, they treated us like royalty and it was a real eye opener. Sam played amazingly and after a summer of golfing myself, I managed to just about keep up. It was one of those rounds where my opening drive set the tone, 260 yards down the middle. That never happens. I got lucky and the golfing gods smiled down on me for the rest of the afternoon. However, I did lose. It happened on the 18th after a putt lip’ed out. It was perfect.
Grabbing a beer afterwards and talking to Sam about his life is what lead to me writing this article. It was clear from that late afternoon beer he was going to give things a go. So, here we are, 6 months later... I drop Sam a text and organise a chat for a few days time.
Thursday 16th February.
Like everything since March 2020 we decided to catch up over zoom. It felt apt that Sam had come directly from the driving range and after a few pleasantries:
SW - ‘How’s your Golf?’
TG - ‘Bad... how’s yours?’
SW - ‘Getting there!’
I decided to get into it and I thought it best to start at the beginning. When your dad is a tour pro, I imagine you early golfing years are not going to closely match my own - mum dropping you off at Preston Golf Club all summer long because it is cheap child care.
What was a surprise for myself was that it was not always going to be golf for Sam, he was a sporty but golf did not grab him from day one. Equally Lee was not the typical pushy parent, dragging Sam down to the driving range at all hours and demanding he swung a plastic 7 iron. This is exactly how I am going to be as a parent, I just know it and already hate myself for it. Sam assures me though the pictures of him with a plastic club do exist, thank god, he’ll need them for the instagram post after the first tour win.
He explains to me that at the start golf was just, ‘dad’s job’ and although he was always under the ropes at The Open, collecting players autographs like a high end version of Top Trumps and his earliest memories of Augusta are not the shiny greens being broadcast via the BBC but being around the course in Georgia and sitting next to the iconic clubhouse, he never saw it as a path for himself. This was so much the case his mum had to actively ask Sam to talk to his dad about golf and take an interest. I guess whatever your parents do becomes mundane after a certain amount of time, even if your dad is no.1 in the world.
Lee Westwood of England and team Europe and his son and caddie Sam Westwood look on prior to the 43rd Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits on September 21, 2021 in Kohler, Wisconsin. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images).
Sam does admit that he wished he had taken more of an interest in those early years. After moving the family to Florida so Lee had easier access to the PGA Tour, Sam had the greatest facilities on his doorstep but did not take advantage of the opportunity. Let’s not forget in Florida you’ve got year round golf, your dad is winning on the PGA tour and your uncle is Andrew Coltart, you’ve got what you need to give it a go.
That was until Lee invited him to play in a ProAm in Feb 2017, I think we can all relate to that, you know, you have never played golf and then get an invite to a major ProAm... it is a tale as old as time. After saying yes, Sam decided he better sort his act out, he started hitting the driving range and you’ll be glad to know he remembers his first three scores on a golf course - 99, 102 and 97.
Lee Westwood of Europe reacts to a birdie putt on the seventh green during afternoon fourball matches of the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club on October 1, 2016 in Chaska, Minnesota. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images).
From what Sam says the ProAm was a success but I have seen no photographic evidence of this and if my first junior event at 15 is anything to go by, the nerves can get the better of you resulting in a skied drive on the first and NR before reaching the clubhouse. Just me?
Sam did stick to the sport and saw his handicap tumble, 18 to 12 to 6 and then to scratch. University was a bit of distraction and after a year as an amateur decided to turn pro. He admits he was thrown in at the deep end, having never player England Golf or working his way up through the ranks, he was still very much learning his craft on the job. Not always a bad thing, but certainly not ideal when your second name is Westwood and everyone is watching. The pressure was piled even higher at Sam first pro event. In a beautiful moment of symmetry Sam found himself tee’ing it up for the first time for cash at his dad’s old stomping ground, Worksop Golf Course.
The next 12 months for Sam is going to mirror the life of any professional golfer working their way up through the ranks of the sport. After the sad closing down of the EuroPro tour in the UK, Sam is taking on as many Tartan Tour events as he can manage hoping to grab a Challenge Tour Card, equally, he will be taking on the ever intimidating Qualifying School, battling it out for a place on the European Tour.
At this point we get onto the subject I most wanted to talk about - what it is like playing professional golf when everyone knows your dad. Sam admits people know who you are before you even get to an event. There are more eyes on him that most due to the foot steps he is following in. Bigger crowds on first tees and more online discussions than maybe the performances deserve.
However, he shrugs off the pressure, ‘I am my own person, I have got my own game’. His confidence is admirable. He follows it up by saying, ‘I am in control, I can not let it effect me’, I truly believe him when he says this, it seems not to effect him in the way you think it might.
I do get a sense of annoyance though in the attention which lands on him after a potentially mediocre round of golf. I get the impression that interviews and photo opportunities sometimes fall his way after a performance that, he admits, does not really deserve it. And this is the over arching feeling Sam gives me, he does not want any attention or praise or credit for anything other than the work he has done. I have to give kudos for this, he wants his golf game to be the talking point, not the lineage of golfers he comes from.
“There is no doubt in my mind that carrying the name Westwood around with you comes with both its positives and its negatives. There is no escaping the fact you are following in the foots steps of a legend and heavy is the head that crown lies on.”
He stands by his game and although admit there are weakness, like his dad he finds short putting can be troublesome, does not want any more help than he deserves or is willing to work for.
I had to ask though, when you’ve got Lee Westwood on the other end of a WhatsApp message, surely you are asking for nuggets of advice.
Sam doubles down on the idea that LW is not a pushy parent, he is ‘only involved if you ask’, however when asked the advice is brutal and right to the point. Sam highlights a conversation they had recently:
Lee - ‘Your putting is rubbish, Sam’
Ah, there is nothing like the brutal feedback that only a parent can give you.
Sam clearly really looks up to his dad in a way that is very endearing, adding to our chat, ‘I do send him swing videos regularly, he is involved in my game the perfect amount’. Nice to see the hard feedback has not phased Sam.
Lee Westwood of England with son and caddie Sam Westwood walk to the 18th green during Day Two of the abrdn Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club on July 09, 2021 in North Berwick, Scotland. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images).
Clearly the impact having a PGA champion as your father has not passed him by, it has helped to mould his game in way he, as of yet, does not truly understand. What he does know is the level of hard work it is going to take to succeed at the highest level,
SW - ‘I have seen the standard, it pushes me to work even harder’
This hard work is currently taking the form of strengthening his mental game. It is clear how important that side of it is in 2023, working on the killer instincts in this sport is vital. Wins are gleamed through very small margins and that often takes place on the few inches of fairway in-between your ears. That is where the difference is made. Sam highlights the importance of having a healthy ego, knowing that when you step on the first tee you have the power to win and take home the money.
Now, we get to the big questions that I have been waiting to ask since we got on the call.
1.)
TG - Have you ever beaten your dad?
SW - Yes, Once.
2.)
TG - You’re coming down the final hole at a major, both you and your dad are in contention, who is winning?
SW - If I had managed to get there, I would back myself to win.
At this point I think it is a good time to end the call. I thank Sam for his time and we agree to fit in another 18 holes, around his busy playing schedule when he is back in London. You’ll be glad to know since our first meeting we had a game at the simply breathtaking JCB Golf & Country Club... I won that time.
There is no doubt in my mind that carrying the name Westwood around with you comes with both its positives and its negatives. There is no escaping the fact you are following in the foots steps of a legend and heavy is the head that crown lies on. However, there is not a nicer man I know to be doing that job other than Sam. He is totally without pretence or arrogance, which the experiences he has had could easily garner. I wish him every luck in the future and I have no doubt he will go onto to do amazing things in the sport, how could you not when you’re getting such good advice from a legend in the game.
‘Your Putting is rubbish, Sam.’