The Punter / Editor / 23 November 2009 /

Opposing Lee Westwood was just the start of a bad, bad few days for Steve

This has to go down as a pants weekend. Whether its golf, football, racing or even laptops, things certainly haven't gone my way.

I went into the weekend with a few live chances at the Dubai World Championship but after Saturday's third round I was left with just one, and that was Ross McGowan, backed at [30.0] as the second round had closed. He'd had a most impressive day with the putter - shooting a second successive 66. Unfortunately for me though, Lee Westwood equalled McGowan's brilliance, and also shot 66.

Although plenty of players had been in the mix on Saturday, nobody managed to finish within three of Westwood and McGowan. Late errors were the order of the day, and most disappointing had been the limp finish of Race to Dubai leader Rory McIlroy, who had ended his day with three straight bogeys.

After the golf had finished, I watched the Liverpool-Man City game.
I'm not a massive footie fan nowadays but we had football mad company stopping this weekend so the game was on, and as I'm a City fan, I had a small wager on them to win.

When they went one-nil down I resigned myself to having lost my 'fun'
wager and was a little annoyed at myself for having a bet at all. Then all of a sudden the tide turned, and in a matter of minutes City were two one up. Great, I clicked on the market and input a lay back at [1.42], just at the very moment that Liverpool equalised! I wasn't matched and the game ended 2-2.

I'd soon forgotten my frustration, enjoying a relaxing afternoon chatting with our guests and just chilling out on the Wii with the kids. Then just before three I remembered about the Betfair Chase...

I had no intention of having a bet initially but after a bit of discussion, my mate persuaded me that we should both back my idea of the value in the race, [11.0] shot, Imperial Commander.

If you didn't see the race it was a cracker, with Imperial Commander serving it right up to Kauto Star, with the pair locked in battle all the way up the long straight. After they'd crossed the finishing line together the cameraman locked onto my pick, usually a good sign, and he traded at [1.5] as we awaited the result of the photo. The whole room was convinced we'd just comfortably paid for Saturday night out and my City wager was but a distant memory. Then the result came through... second.

When the golf resumed on Sunday morning, Westwood traded at around [1.56], with a lead of two over my man McGowan, who traded at around [6.6]. I half fancied McGowan to win - I've written many times how fragile Westwood has been in contention over the last couple of years and he's even commented himself that he'd gotten out of the habit of winning, but it wasn't to be for my man.

McGowan bogeyed the first hole and that was that. Westwood just kept relentlessly extending the lead, but my low point came as they played the 5th.

Already resigned to a losing week, with Westwood streaking away, all of a sudden my laptop screen went blank!

What a weekend! I'd suffered a frustrating footy result, been the wrong side of an unbelievable photo finish, I'd opposed a sublime Lee Westwood and now I had a broken laptop to replace!

There aren't superlatives enough to describe Westwood's performance - I've never seen him play so well and at absolutely no stage was victory in any sort of doubt. He cruised to the finish line with an impeccable eight under par round, to win by six.

It hadn't been a nail-biting finale but the inaugural Race to Dubai had produced a very worthy winner.

A complete rethink by yours truly about the Worksop Wonder is now required, though I think I already know that any rethink will come up with the obvious conclusion - Lee John Westwood is back to his best.

Hopefully he'll go on from here and the next time he's in the mix at a Major they'll be no messing around, because if anyone now deserves one, it's him.

The highlight next week is the Omega World Cup, where I'll be eager to get back to winning ways... I've a grand to find for starters to fund my new laptop! I'll post a preview on Wednesday.

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