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Lee Westwood reveals ‘surreal’ moment he and wife Helen were invited into airplane cockpit as captain was a fan

, Lee Westwood reveals ‘surreal’ moment he and wife Helen were invited into airplane cockpit as captain was a fan

LEE WESTWOOD realised how much of a cult hero his age-defying feats have made him, when an airline captain asked if he had time to pop into the cockpit!

Westwood, 48, grinned: “Most people ask if they can go forward to have a look at the controls, but I suddenly got taped on the shoulder and asked if I minded popping in to see the captain.

Lee Westwood and wife Helen were invited into an airplane cockpit by a captain fan
The 48-year-old headed to The Open in Kent this week after playing in Scotland

“It turned out he was a massive golf fan, and he recognised me as he walked past – but he wanted to check the passenger list to make sure he hadn’t made a mistake.

“He wanted to chat about golf, and said please bring your wife too, because she’s my favourite caddie. So Helen joined me up front.

“This was on a scheduled American Airlines flight, and the captain was American, not English, which seemed to make it even more surreal.

“He just said he found the way I’ve been playing this year really inspiring – he meant at my age of course, but he didn’t put it like that.

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“And it was actually quite flattering to realise how much enjoyment and pleasure people have taken from watching me compete with the younger guys.

“He even said he felt I should have won both Bay Hill and The Players. I think if I’d stayed there much longer I’d have felt like I did win them!”

Westwood was runner-up in both those events, but the consolation for just missing out on winning two of the biggest tournaments on the calendar was the fact that he added just under £2million to his bank balance.

That has put him on course for the most lucrative season of his career – not bad for a player who is just two years away from qualifying for the over-50s Champion Tour.

COMPETITION: WIN A MERCEDES AMG A45S WORTH £51,000 PLUS UP TO £50k IN CASH

, Lee Westwood reveals ‘surreal’ moment he and wife Helen were invited into airplane cockpit as captain was a fan

Lee Westwood has rolled back the years with his form

, Lee Westwood reveals ‘surreal’ moment he and wife Helen were invited into airplane cockpit as captain was a fan

Helen was also invited up front as she was the captain’s favourite caddie

He added: “Look, I’ve been a pro for more than 25 years, and I’ve racked up over forty wins, and I’ve made enough money that it isn’t really a driving force.

“But It’s incredible that at 48 they are still paying me that much to do what I love. Money isn’t everything – but it’s nice to have it. ’m a lucky boy, and long may it continue.”

The lack of a Major victory remains the only blot on the former world No 1’s record, and his past experiences at St George’s – missed cuts in 2003 and 2011 – suggest he is unlikely to end the drought this week.

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But Westwood is upbeat about his chances, saying: “I can put those missed cuts down to bad form and bad luck.

“In 2003 I was just coming out of a slump that saw me drop out of the top 250 of the world rankings earlier that year, and my confidence was still shot to pieces.

“And in 2011 I copped the wrong end of the draw, the one that caught by far the worst of the weather.

“There was a huge discrepancy in scoring between the morning and afternoon waves that year. It happens, especially on links courses, and you just have to suck it up sometimes.

“Otherwise, my Open record is pretty good. I was fourth in the last one, and I’ve also had a second and two thirds, so I know I’ve got the game for links golf. And I think I’m playing as well as I ever have.

“Plus, I actually like St George’s as a course. I won there as an amateur. They had two 36 hole competitions over a weekend, and I played really well and won both events.

“So it’s not like I haven’t had success around that course, albeit a long time ago – no, a very long time ago!

“But the media seem to enjoy calling me the Peter Pan of golf, and if I can recapture those good vibes I had around here as a kid, who knows?”

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