PARIS (PA) -- Lee Westwood is determined not to pile pressure on himself as he begins his countdown to the British Open this week at the Alstom French Open.

Beaten by a single shot in the U.S. Open two weeks ago, a lot will now be expected of the former European No. 1 next month at Royal Birkdale -- especially with Tiger Woods out of the way.

"I went to the U.S. Open without any expectations and I think that's the way I need to approach them," said Westwood on Wednesday at Le Golf National. "I had hardly hit any balls going into it and I wasn't feeling great.

"I came very close and didn't feel that I lost it," he added. "I think Tiger and Rocco (Mediate) played very well to finish one ahead of me."

One behind Woods entering the final day, Westwood turned that into a one-stroke lead with nine holes left. But the pair both came to the last needing a birdie to tie and Woods was the one to get it.

Westwood, 35, was able to reflect, though, on his best-ever finish in a major, a week where his re-emergence as a player of world class was there for all to see -- and being paired with Woods did not seem to affect him as much as it has others.

"I think that's because I have been in that situation before," he added. "I have played with Tiger so many times in Ryder Cups and majors and World Golf Championships, so I know what to expect.

"It's not so much playing with Tiger, it's everything that goes on around," he explained. "The amount of people outside the ropes and everyone moving around it, it can be tough, but you do get used to it."

Westwood will skip next week's European Open at the London Club in Kent, but will be at the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond before turning his full attention to Royal Birkdale.

"I'm still learning. It all depends on the different majors -- I've played well in them playing for the three weeks leading up to them and I have played well in them having not hit a ball for a fortnight," he said. "You have to get into the right frame of mind or zone, I suppose."

Two more of England's top players, Luke Donald and Ian Poulter, had a very different time at Torrey Pines. Both pulled out with wrist injuries, but while Donald has now missed his next two events as well, Poulter is back in action this week.

The first thing he did when he arrived on the practice range before Wednesday's pro-am, though, was to strap his right wrist.

"I had 10 days of rest and ultrasound treatment and it's fine for now," he said. "I hit about 30 balls on Sunday, then played 18 holes on Monday at Stoke Park and shot 2 under, which was nice.

"I'm not sure about my schedule coming up," he added. "I'm going to play the Open, put it that way -- I don't know about the rest."

Robert Karlsson, eighth in the Masters and fourth in the U.S. Open, has made a late decision to play this week.

"I've had a sore throat and stuff and decided only yesterday," said the Swede. "It's not been the best preparation -- Sunday was the first time I touched the clubs since leaving America."

With a massive first prize of almost $1.05 million, the French Open also will be a battle for top spot on the European Tour Order of Merit with current top four -- Miguel Angel Jimenez, Karlsson, Westwood and Oliver Wilson -- in the field and sixth-placed Martin Kaymer, winner of the BMW International Open title in Munich on Sunday, able to leapfrog over all of them by triumphing again.

There are also two places in the British Open up for grabs off a mini-money list that has been running for a month.

Australian Scott Strange, winner of the Wales Open, and Chile's Felipe Aguilar, runner-up in the Irish Open, are in position to take them. But either Darren Clarke or Paul McGinley could avoid next Monday's 36-hole qualifier at Sunningdale with a top-3 finish on Sunday.

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