Miles Bennett
Lee John Westwood, born on 24 April 1973, is an English professional golfer. He is one of the most prominent golfers worldwide, having won tournaments on five continents and in four decades. Westwood was born and raised in Worksop, a small town in Nottinghamshire, England, and has since become one of the most successful English golfers, with numerous accolades and achievements to his name.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Lee John Westwood |
| Date of Birth | 24 April 1973 |
| Nationality | English |
| Profession | Professional Golfer |
| Notable Achievements | Ranked #1 in the world in 2010 and 2011; One of the few golfers to have won tournaments on five continents; European Tour Golfer of the Year in 1998, 2000, 2009, and 2020; Represented Europe in ten Ryder Cups |
| Awards and Honours | Honorary degree of Doctor of Science from Nottingham Trent University; Sports hall at the university named after him |
| Passions and Interests | Horse racing; Co-owns a private jet with fellow golfer Darren Clarke |
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What You'll Learn
Lee Westwood's early life
Lee John Westwood, born on 24 April 1973, is an English professional golfer. He was born in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England, to John Westwood, a mathematics teacher, and his wife, Trish, a podiatrist. He attended Sir Edmund Hillary Primary School and Valley Comprehensive School during his formative years. Westwood has family ties and heritage in South Wales.
Westwood discovered his passion for sports at a young age, excelling in rugby, cricket, football, and cross-country events during his school days. He developed a particular interest in golf at the age of 12 when he stayed up late to watch Jack Nicklaus win the 1986 Masters. At 13, he began playing golf with a half set bought by his grandparents, and his father took up the sport to encourage and accompany him.
Westwood's talent became evident early on. In less than two years, he became the junior champion of Nottinghamshire. He represented England in the Boys Home Internationals in 1989 and played for the Great Britain and Ireland boys' team in the Jacques Léglise Trophy in 1990 and 1991. In 1991, he secured his first significant amateur tournament victory by winning the Peter McEvoy Trophy.
Westwood turned professional in 1995, making his PGA debut. He rose to prominence in the golfing world in 2000, winning seven tournaments worldwide and ranking first on the European Order of Merit, dethroning Colin Montgomerie. He became the first golfer to win events on all six International Federation of PGA Tours.
Westwood took a break from competitive golf after the birth of his son Samuel Bevan in 2001, focusing on refining his swing under the guidance of David Leadbetter. He returned to the winners' circle in 2003, claiming victory in Germany, his 25th worldwide.
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Westwood's golfing career
Lee Westwood is an English professional golfer who has enjoyed a successful career on the European and PGA Tours. Born in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England, on April 24, 1973, Westwood showed a natural talent for golf from a young age. He first picked up a golf club at the age of 13 and quickly became a junior member at the Worksop Golf Club, where his natural ability and dedication to the sport became evident.
Westwood turned professional in 1993 and soon established himself as one of the brightest prospects in European golf. He earned his first professional win at the Volvo Scandinavian Masters in 1996, and that year he also represented Europe in the Ryder Cup for the first time, becoming the youngest player to feature in the event since 1937. This marked the beginning of a remarkable Ryder Cup career for Westwood, who has since gone on to become a stalwart of the European team, accumulating an impressive individual record in the process.
Over the years, Westwood has amassed an impressive number of tournament victories worldwide. He has won multiple events on the European Tour, including the prestigious BMW PGA Championship on two occasions (2000, 2009). He has also tasted success on the PGA Tour, with his most notable victories coming at the 2010 St. Jude Classic and the 2020 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. In addition to his individual successes, Westwood has been a consistent performer in the major championships, with several top-five finishes to his name. He has come close to winning a major on several occasions, finishing as runner-up three times and in the top five a further nine times.
Westwood's consistency and longevity in the sport are highlighted by his extended stay at the top of the Official World Golf Ranking. He first rose to world number one in October 2010, becoming the first English golfer to achieve this feat, and he held that position for a total of 22 weeks. Remarkably, over a decade later, in January 2021, Westwood returned to the top of the rankings, becoming the oldest player to be ranked world number one.
Throughout his career, Westwood has been known for his exceptional ball-striking abilities and a smooth, rhythmical swing that has often been described as effortless. His calm demeanor and mental fortitude have also contributed to his success, making him a formidable competitor in pressure-filled situations.
Westwood was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2011 New Year Honours for his services to golf, recognizing his outstanding contribution to the sport. With a career spanning over two decades, he continues to compete at the highest level and is widely respected by his peers and golf fans worldwide.
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Awards and accolades
Lee Westwood has enjoyed a long and successful career as a professional golfer. He has won tournaments on five continents, including Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, and Australia, and has won on six different golf tours. He has won 44 career events in 20 different countries, with 25 of those wins on the European Tour.
Westwood has won the European Tour Golfer of the Year award four times (1998, 2000, 2009, and 2020), and the Association of Golf Writers' (AGW) Golfer of the Year award also in 2020, for the fourth time. He has also won the Harry Vardon Trophy three times as the European Tour Order of Merit winner (2000, 2009, and 2020). In 2009, he won the European Tour Players' Player of the Year Award, based on the votes of his peers.
Westwood has represented Europe in the Ryder Cup eleven times, winning seven of those tournaments, and claiming 23 or 24 points in total. He was a member of seven winning teams, a European record. He was appointed an OBE (Order of the British Empire) for services to golf in 2012.
Westwood has also won the Volvo Scandinavian Masters (1996), the Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters in Japan (1996 and 1997), the Malaysian Open (1997), the Volvo Masters in Spain (1997), the Holden Australian Open (1997), the Sunshine Tour's Dimension Data Pro-am (2000), the Quinn Direct British Masters (2007), the Valle Romano Open de Andalucía (2007), the Nedbank Golf Challenge (2008), the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (2020), and the Indonesian Masters (three times).
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Personal life and interests
Lee John Westwood, born on 24 April 1973 in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, is an English professional golfer. Westwood has represented Europe in ten Ryder Cups and is one of the few golfers who has won tournaments on five continents. He began playing golf at the age of 13 with a half set bought by his grandparents. His father John, a mathematics teacher, took up the game simultaneously to encourage his son. Besides golf, Westwood played rugby, cricket, and football in his youth and was a talented sportsman at school.
Westwood is married to Helen Storey, who hails from Newcastle and works as a fitness consultant. The couple first met in 2015 and tied the knot in Las Vegas in 2021. Storey is also known for her golfing skills and has caddied for Westwood in several tournaments. Westwood was previously married to Laurae Coltart, but the pair divorced in 2017. He has a son, Samuel Bevan, born in 2001, who is an aspiring professional golfer.
Westwood's major passion outside of golf is horse racing, and he has had an interest in several successful horses, including Hoof It, which won the Stewards Cup twice. He also co-owned a private jet with fellow golfer Darren Clarke from April 2006. In 2007, he was presented with an Honorary degree of Doctor of Science by Nottingham Trent University, which named its sports hall after him in October 2010.
Westwood is good friends with Ryder Cup star Darren Clarke and has fond memories of playing team golf. He strongly believes that the franchise model is part of the future. He also has a keen interest in mentoring young golfers and announced the creation of the Lee Westwood Golf School in 2010, which combines golf training with education. He has also created a Junior Lee Westwood Golf Tour and Lee Westwood Golf Camps.
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Recent developments
Lee John Westwood is an English professional golfer. He was born on 24 April 1973 and is one of the most successful golfers of his generation.
Lee Westwood joined LIV Golf in the summer of 2022. He explained that he was drawn to the league because of his love for playing team golf in the Ryder Cup, and he strongly believes that the franchise model is part of the future. Westwood has been critical of the LIV Golf rankings system, calling it a "mockery" due to the difficulty for LIV golfers to earn ranking points and qualify for major championships. In July 2022, LIV Golf's initial application for accreditation was denied, and as of July 2025, the league's second submission is still under review. Westwood has expressed his hope that the approval process can progress before the 2026 major season.
Westwood has continued to be a prominent figure in the golf world. In 2021, at the age of 48, he played for Europe in the Ryder Cup, although the team was beaten by the US squad. Westwood holds the European record for being a member of seven winning Ryder Cup teams and has represented Europe in ten Ryder Cups overall.
Westwood's passion for horse racing has also been well-documented. He has had several successful horses, including Hoof It, which won the Stewards Cup twice. In addition, Westwood's son, Sam, is following in his father's footsteps as an aspiring professional golfer. They played in the same tournament at the Indonesian Masters in 2021, a title Westwood has won three times.
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Frequently asked questions
Lee Westwood is from England.
Westwood is one of the few golfers who has won tournaments on five continents – Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and Oceania. He was also the first golfer to win events on all six of the International Federation of PGA Tours. He has represented Europe in ten Ryder Cups and was the World Number One golfer in 2010.
Westwood's major passion outside of golf is horse racing. He has had an interest in several successful horses, including Hoof It, which won the Stewards Cup twice.
Lee Westwood's son is called Samuel Bevan, or Sam for short. Sam is an aspiring professional golfer.
Westwood has criticised the LIV Golf rankings system, calling it a "mockery". He has argued that without world ranking points, the system is flawed and that the major championships will have to revise their qualification systems.
