By Kent Gray
Lee Westwood launched his candidacy for the European Ryder Cup captaincy on Tuesday but made it clear he has unfinished business with the Americans inside the ropes before he’s ready for that honour.

The 45-year-old Englishman has arrived at the 14th Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship a rejuvenated man after his emotional three-stroke victory over Sergio Garcia at the Nedbank Challenge in November ended a four-year winless streak.

He has his heart set on succeeding Padraig Harrington when Italy hosts the Ryder Cup in 2022 but before then intends kicking on from Sun City to force his way back onto the playing roster for the 43^rd matches at Whistling Straits in 20 months time.

Westwood served as one of Thomas Bjorn’s vice-captains at Le Golf National last September, ending a run of 10 successive playing appearances where he has contributed 23 points to seven European victories since his debut in 1997 at Valderrama.

“I’d love to have it in Italy. I’ll not lie to you,” Westwood said of the European captaincy. “I think this time around, I proved the end of last year, that I can still win tournaments and I feel like I can still qualify for a Ryder Cup team.

“If I’m not there, then, you know, I’d like to help out in some way and gain a bit more experience, but after that, you know, Italy, I’ll be 49, and that’s the ideal time to be captain in my point of view. I’ll still be playing out here. I’ll still be in touch with the players.”

The win in South Africa had validated all the hard work Westwood had put into his game after the disappointment of missing out on at least one of Bjorn’s Paris wildcards and has him eager to get on with 2019 in the “same vein”.

“Obviously wins give you a lot more confidence. It’s just a case of showing that all the practise is worthwhile,” Westwood said. “I can stand on the range and hit good shots all the time but it’s hitting them when it matters under pressure, and I was able to do that.

“It’s just a case of picking up where I left off…try and get back in the top-50 in the world if I can, and that will only come through good results and playing well.”

Westwood squeezed in three rounds during a New Year’s break spent in Dubai but revealed the days of belting balls endlessly on the range are numbered.

“I work with a psychologist and I just run through scenarios in my head of the way tournaments can go and the way I’ll think about things on the golf course when things happen so I’m prepared for it,” he said.

Something Westwood hasn’t been prepared for in recent years is all the new faces when he does warm-up on the range. It’s another reason why he intends staying competitive at the highest level for as long as possible.

“The start of every year now, I walk up and down the range and there will be some people that I have no idea who they are. It will almost be 50/50 who I know and who I don’t. So you’ve got to be out here so you can keep an eye on the new talent coming out, so you’ve got a connection with them.

“I think Tom Watson’s captaincy at Gleneagles [2014] pointed that out; that he was just a bit too old and out of touch with the players that were on his team.”