Westwood reacts to McIlroy win

London: The television cameras panned straight to the figure adjusting his cap in the cavernous Congressional clubhouse.

The shot was not accidental. Penny for your thoughts, Mr Westwood?

The World No 2 was straining to see over the heads of others down to the 18th green, where, moments earlier, he had congratulated Rory McIlroy as the young Northern Irishman came up behind in the final group.

The producer was sharp, recognising how difficult it must have been for Westwood, ISM (International Sports Management) mentor to McIlroy, to witness a coronation that he hoped would be his. The inference drawn through the camera's gaze approximated to professional delight on Westwood's part for the nipper, while the little devil on his shoulder was screaming "why not me?" The 22-year-old below was immersed in the ultimate dream sequence, knee deep in acclaim, imbibing the elixir of a maiden major triumph.

Epic scale

The McIlroy story was overwhelming in every sense, the manner of his US Open win matching the epic scale of his Masters demise.

This was Westwood's reaction to the events at Congressional three days after McIlroy holed the final putt to triumph by eight shots.

"I just wanted to see him win. I had already congratulated him on 18. I was walking off as he was walking up to the green. I was pleased for him. He blew the Masters, really. If that keeps happening it is the sort of thing that gets to you and winning becomes more and more difficult. But that was not the case. He's a young lad. I like him. He hits the ball great and when someone plays as well as he did in a major and runs away with it like that, then you have to hold your hands up and say they deserved to win."

For Westwood this was another opportunity surrendered. His third place was his fifth top-three finish in the past seven majors. His lowest finish in that sequence is a tie for 16th at the US Open last year. For three rounds at Congressional he matched McIlroy's rate of plunder, playing rock-hard golf. Westwood had one bad day, and it killed him — is killing him. One senses a frustration in Westwood, not to mention boredom at being asked to explain away the near misses. The McIlroy victory changes nothing materially for Westwood yet skews the way we view his future. He is the senior figure with 34 victories worldwide. But it is McIlroy, who had just two before Congressional, who walks on sacred ground now. How does that impact on Westwood? How does he cope sharing professional space with McIlroy, travelling, eating and sleeping under the same roof?

"It's not a problem being around each other at major championships. We maintain a good friendship off the course. That is the kind of game golf is," he says.

"On the course you try to beat each other's brains out but afterwards you should be able to have a beer. We don't talk about golf when we are sat around the table at night, or the dynamic of the tournament. You keep that stuff to yourself. I have my own ideas about what I have to do, but I do glean a bit of inspiration from the way he won last week, the way Graeme McDowell won at Pebble, Martin [Kaymer] the PGA and Charl [Schwartzel] at the Masters."

— The Telegraph Group Limited, London 2011