Westwood relishing Scottish test

The last time Lee Westwood won the week before the Open he went to Royal Birkdale as joint favourite with Tiger Woods and appeared to run out of gas.

But, 13 years on from his two closing rounds of 78 there, Westwood could well have a chance to show he can do far better - even win again. Lifting the Barclays Scottish Open title at Castle Stuart near Inverness on Sunday would take the 38-year-old to Sandwich as world number one once more and a seven-under-par opening 65 made him the joint overnight leader with Chilean Mark Tullo.

"The more pressure I'm under this week the better," said Westwood after grabbing an eagle and six birdies. "It's a nice way to start the next two weeks. You're never quite sure what to expect when you come to a course that you've never played before."

He added: "I did some nice work last week on the range and hit a lot of shots out there that I probably couldn't have hit two or three weeks ago."

When Phil Mickelson won the week before his Masters defence in April many thought he had peaked too soon - and had no reason to change their minds when he finished only 27th.

But Westwood has already won back-to-back in Indonesia and South Korea this season and, thinking back to what happened at the 1998 Open, he said: "I didn't really know what was going on - I hadn't really got into contention in the major championships."

He certainly has now. He missed out on a play-off by one shot at the 2008 US Open and 2009 Open, then was runner-up to Mickelson at Augusta last year and to Louis Oosthuizen - albeit by seven strokes - in last July's Open at St Andrews.

"I like playing the week before a major championship. I like having the pressure and making putts when you need to make them."

He picked out a driver second to 12 feet on the 530-yard 12th - his third - and a two iron to four feet into the wind on the long 18th as shots that will boost his confidence for another tilt at a first major title down in Kent.