Westwood shrugs off bad week, knows his fate remains in his hands

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Lee Westwood's pursuit of a second European Tour Order of Merit title remains firmly in his own hands with the world No. 5 knowing that a victory at this week's season-ending Dubai World Championship will secure him the crown.

Westwood trudged away from the penultimate event of the season in Hong Kong on Sunday after a bemusing week ended in a 54th-place finish.

The 36-year-old Englishman slipped to second in the Race to Dubai as Rory McIlroy opened up a $192,000 lead thanks to finishing second.

But with the $7.5 million in prize money on offer in Dubai, Westwood knows a win on the new Earth Course on Sunday would wrap up the Order of Merit at the end of a season in which he ended his two-year winless streak.

"Last week was just a bit of an off week, nothing really went for me and I couldn't get anything going," said Westwood, who won the recent Portugal Masters. "I couldn't get anything going on the greens and the final round was just typical of that.

"I didn't quite have the enthusiasm going out there. When you know you are struggling to make putts even the good putts are not going in," he added. "It was just one of those weeks.

"The Race to Dubai is still in my hands, regardless. The difference between first and second this week is more than the difference in the race so if I win, I win the money list.

"That's what I set out to do at the start of the last few weeks, to make sure I was within the difference between first and second and I am going to be that."

McIlroy and Germany's Martin Kaymer also know that a win in Dubai would guarantee the Order of Merit, while Ross Fisher is the only other player in contention -- although should either Westwood or McIlroy finish second, that would be enough to land the Harry Vardon Trophy and deny Fisher.

With Hong Kong representing only Westwood's second finish outside the top 10 in his last 11 stroke-play events, he was happy to shrug it off as a blip.

"I don't think last week will have an effect on me. I am fairly optimistic. I have been playing this game long enough not to let one week bother me," added Westwood. "Ironically, I actually struck the ball as good as I hit it all week on the last round."

Westwood put his troubles on the greens down to the fact it was his first trip to Hong Kong.

This week will also represent his first competitive rounds on the Greg Norman-designed Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, which is making its Tour debut on Thursday.

"I don't know anything about the course but it will be a new experience for everybody so they will be in the same boat as I was in Hong Kong, and the odds will be slightly more in my favor," Westwood said.

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