Westwood grinds way into contention

Lee Westwood has long been an unashamed sadist of the fairways and yesterday the Englishman restated his love of the grind with a 70 on the first day of the season-ending Volvo Masters. His classy display of perseverance put him right in contention to win a second Order of Merit title.

The Englishman's round of one-under might have left him five behind the leader, Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen, but it was the gap back to the other protagonists in the race to top the money list which was deemed more important. Miguel Angel Jimenez and Robert Karlsson both shot 73s, while Padraig Harrington laboured to a 76.

Westwood was clearly happy with his opening. "With this tournament you can only shoot yourself in the first round," said the 35-year-old who is still awaiting his first victory of 2008. "You have to be very patient. I enjoy that kind of golf when par is a good score. I like grinding away."

Nevertheless, as he needs to win the £560,000 first prize here to overhaul Karlsson, Westwood will have to produce three inspired rounds to deny not only Kjeldsen but also Sergio Garcia. The Spaniard built on last week's win in Valencia to post a 68 to lie in second.

Karlsson will enjoy seeing Garcia's name up there as he tries to hold on to his advantage; indeed, almost as such as he enjoyed watching a marshall risking cutting himself to ribbons on the 11th when retrieving the Swede's ball from the bushes. "We could see five balls in there, but couldn't identify them," said Karlsson. "There were a lot of thorns and things, but he volunteered to go in and found it. I'll be buying the marshall as many beers as he wants."