Lee Westwood. LIV Golf

Lee Westwood wasn’t exactly sure of his plans to celebrate his 50th birthday on Monday. Travel from Adelaide to Singapore for the next LIV Golf League event will take up most of the time.

“Probably go out for dinner, won’t we?” he asked his wife [and caddie] Helen.

“I might treat,” she smiled. “Again.”

In truth, the couple had already celebrated Westwood’s 50th with a recent week-long ski trip in the French Alps in Val d’Isère. The party included 20 of their friends. “That was great,” Westwood said. “We had a really good time.”

It’s been all business since then for Westwood and his Majesticks. The former world No. 1 is the first of the team’s three co-captains to reach 50. Ian Poulter will reach that milestone in January of 2026, and Henrik Stenson follows three months later.

Their immediate goal is to get the Majesticks back into competitive shape after a tough start to the 2023 LIV Golf League season. The team found the podium in three of the first four tournaments during the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational Series in 2022 but haven’t returned since then. Their best finish is a sixth place in Orlando, and they currently sit at the bottom of the team standings after Adelaide.

In terms of playing shape, though, Westwood is already there.

He utilised LIV Golf’s extended off-season to not only focus on his physical condition but also to shed some weight. He went from 105 kgs to 94 — that’s a drop of approximately 24lbs. He made sure none of the weight loss was muscle, working with his long-time trainer Steve McGregor.

“As you get older, you lose muscle naturally, don’t you?” Westwood said. “But I managed to retain and actually put on a little bit. Really pleased with that.”

Compared to 20 years ago, Westwood noted that he’s in much better shape now. He didn’t begin focusing on his fitness until he was 32, while trying to work his way out of a slump. The approach eventually paid off. In the years leading to his 40th birthday, Westwood won 10 times and climbed to world No. 1. He was 90 kgs (under 200lbs) but carrying plenty of muscle.

In the ensuing decade, he’s maintained a strict regimen on what he calls his “engine room”. It’s not always easy.

“I’m constantly battling my weight,” he said. “I have to look at my diet. Put cardio into my program. Calorie-burning. I do a lot of training. It’s more about being disciplined.”

He has no choice. Westwood wants to remain competitive at the elite level well into his 50s. He knows what’s needed.

“I think as you get older, you have to,” he said. “The young kids are so fit and strong. When you’re young … you don’t necessarily have to work hard at it. Whereas when you get to our age, you have to work harder. It probably becomes more important than standing on the range hitting balls.”

That’s why during his most recent off-season, Westwood put the clubs away for 13 of the first 14 weeks. The only time he dusted them off was to play the Indonesian Masters on the Asian Tour. It was an impressive week, as he finished ninth.

“The problem with golf is there are so many different aspects to work on,” Westwood explained. “Long game, short game, bunker play, putting. There’s also the mental and physical sides as well. If you kind of just put the golf to one side for a while and just work on the physical aspects of maintaining the engine room, it makes it a lot easier to train and kind of time-manage your game better.”

Westwood has taken inspiration from fellow LIV Golf member Phil Mickelson, captain of HyFlyers. In 2021, Mickelson become the oldest winner of a major, claiming the PGA Championship at age 50. Earlier this month, at age 52, he shot a final-round 65 to tie for second at the Masters.

“He’s done incredibly well, hasn’t he?” Westwood said. “Won a major. Second in a major. He’s clearly still competitive at the highest level. He keeps himself in shape. He’s probably as lean right now as he’s ever been.”

Westwood currently isn’t exempt into any of the remaining three majors, but he is eyeing the Senior Open at Royal Porthcawl in Wales in late July. It comes the week before LIV Golf Greenbrier.

“Might play that,” he said. “Not sure.”

If he does, he may be the youngest player in the field. In the LIV Golf League, he’s the third oldest behind Mickelson and fellow Englishman Richard Bland, who turned 50 in February.

But age is just a number, right? As Westwood has gotten older, he’s learned the importance of enjoying his time as a competitive golfer. Staying in shape may be more of a challenge, but mentally, he’s never been in a better place. The smile never seems to leave his face.

“I treat it for what it is, really,” Westwood said. “Just a game. It all gets too serious when you’re younger.”