Westwood at 10-1 to make successful defence

Lee Westwood rates a strong favourite and should be backed at general odds of 10-1 to successfully defend the Andalucia Open at the Aloha Golf Club on Spain’s south coast, starting Thursday.

The 34-year-old has a special fondness for the course after ending a four-year barren spell when securing a two-stroke win over Fredrik Andersson Hed and Phillip Archer last May and has not stood still in the interim, posting a string of top-tens and winning the British Masters at the Belfry in September.

Westwood’s renewed vigour has been supported by a punishing fitness regime that has seen him shed pounds and his improved fitness has brought greater consistency to his play.  Indeed, with a touch more fortune he would already have visited the winner’s enclosure this season, numbering successive runner-up placings in the HSBC Champions and the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship before adding further top-tens in Qatar and Dubai.

Westwood will have been disappointed not to have contended in the WGC - CA Championship last week but, in finishing tied-34th, was no worse than par for each of his four rounds, closing with a 68.

Miguel Angel Jimenez, Anders Hansen, Anton Haig, Peter Hanson, Gregory Havret and Martin Kaymer join Westwood on their journey from America, while other leading names taking part include the Northern Irish duo of Darren Clarke and Rory McIlroy.