Lee Westwood responds when asked if the Senior PGA Championship feels like a real major to him

Lee Westwood rarely plays in major championships these days, mainly because of his switch to LIV Golf in 2022.

Westwood was a regular feature at the top of major championship leaderboards for the best part of two decades from the late 90s onwards.

However, his most recent top five finish in a major came at The Open Championship at Royal Portrush in 2019.

Now his attention seems to have shifted to senior events, when he is not playing on LIV, of course.

Westwood has played one senior major before – the US Seniors in 2024 at Newport Country Club where he finished tied for 31st.

Now he is having another shot at the senior major circuit, this time at the Senior PGA Championship at Congressional Country Club up in Bethesda, Maryland.

And Westwood has given it a really good go after three rounds.

Lee Westwood on whether the Senior PGA Championship feels like a real major

Westwood is used to playing in major championships on the main tour.

In fact, he has made 70 cuts from 91 majors played throughout his career to date.

However, the 52-year-old hasn’t played a major on the main tour since The Open in 2022.

He did play in the Senior US Open last year, and now he’s competing in the Senior PGA Championship, where he is currently in a tie for fourth place after three rounds, one shot adrift of leaders Retief Goosen, Angel Cabrera and Jason Caron.

Westwood responded when asked by reporters after his round whether this week at Congressional Country Club feels like a real major championship to him.

He said, “Yeah, certainly the rough in places is like a real major, and the greens, since the redesign, there’s a lot of undulations in them so they can really tuck some flags away. Obviously they’re not getting them quite as quick as they normally would with the strength of the gusts of the wind. But yeah, it feels like a major.

This is only my second senior major. I played the U.S. Senior Open last year in Newport and then this is my second one. But I’ve played it a lot, and when they set this place up for U.S. Opens, which I’ve played two of, it’s got a similar feel. Obviously it plays longer.

“But I’m at an advantage where I still hit it a long way, so I can overpower quite a few of the holes on here. A couple of the par-5s I’m hitting 6-iron into and — sort of 6-iron into 6, 6-iron into 11 and 7-iron into 16. They become eagle opportunities. 9 I’d have to hit two good ones.

“But I’ve got a lot of wedges in my hand out there.“

Lee Westwood’s incredible record in majors

The 52-year-old has challenged regularly during majors throughout his career.

He arguably has the best record out of all the players who are yet to win a major championship.

It’s such a shame that Westwood never won a major.

He has 44 professional wins to his name worldwide, but he was never able to secure one of the big ones.

Perhaps Westwood can break his major duck at the Senior PGA Championship this week.