Lee Westwood has added to his stellar year in world golf by agreeing to become a Golf Roots Ambassador for leading golf charity the Golf Foundation.
The Ryder Cup star recently won the 2009 Race to Dubai to make him Europe’s number one player for the year. As someone who clearly cares about junior grass roots golf, in his most successful season in golf he has chosen to support Golf Roots, the national project which aims to develop playing and personal skills amongst all young people.
Lee has for the last eight years endorsed the Golf Foundation’s ‘Charity Challenge’, a popular fundraising initiative for the charity that supports the national golf partnerships of England, Scotland and Wales.
The Golf Foundation honoured Lee during this year’s Open Championship at Turnberry, presenting him with its prestigious ‘Spirit of Golf’ Award. The award recognises a superb contribution to junior golf by a leading player. Previous winners are Gary Player and Tony Jacklin.
Mike Round, Chief Executive of the Golf Foundation, said: “Lee Westwood has been a great inspiration to many young golfers and we are all delighted that he has agreed to become a Golf Roots Ambassador.
“Through his links with our charity and the clear enthusiasm he shows for junior golf, Lee has also inspired the whole team behind the Golf Roots project, which is a highly important one for the future of the game. Golf Roots introduces golf skills and the game’s ‘skills for life’ to youngsters from all backgrounds and abilities, in schools and golf clubs and through special initiatives in city areas.”
Lee Westwood said: “It is a privilege for me to become a Golf Roots Ambassador. The Golf Foundation has helped thousands of youngsters, me included, over the years and I am delighted that they consider me worthy of carrying the title and their good name forward.”
Twenty-one years ago Lee Westwood was actually winning his second Golf Foundation Age Group Championship in 1988 at the age of 15. The link goes back further between Westwood and the Foundation, a charity committed to the sporting and social development of young people through golf. He took part in Golf Foundation-funded group coaching sessions as a child and the Foundation continued its support by providing him with vouchers to enable him to get additional coaching.
It has been a busy year for Europe’s number one player. Earlier in the season Lee launched a series of three-day golf academies (Lee Westwood Golf Academy 2009) for boys and girls aged seven to 16 years old, at nine centres around England. Winners at each event then spent a day with Lee learning some of the skills needed to become a champion golfer. For those inspired to seek a career in golf, Lee has also launched a Golf School where 16-year-olds and upwards will receive expert golf tuition whilst working towards a BTEC National Diploma in Sport.
Lee Westwood is the latest big name to become a Golf Roots Ambassador to help drive Golf Roots forward in 2010. Others to offer their support include, from the Ladies European Tour, Alison Nicholas, Rebecca Hudson, Felicity Johnson, Sam Head and Jo Mundy, and from tour golf and broadcasting Ken Brown and DJ Spoony.
Golf Foundation www.golf-foundation.org
Lee Westwood www.leewestwood.com