Lee Westwood’s precise approach to the 17th green at Augusta National – the 71st hole of the Masters Tournament – has earned the Englishman The European Tour Shot of the Month Award for April.
Westwood’s second shot to six feet was rewarded with a birdie three which kept him in contention to win his first Major title until eventual champion Phil Mickelson put the issue beyond doubt with a closing round of 67.
Westwood finished runner-up on his own three strokes behind the American after a closing 71 for a 13 under par total of 275.
Last year’s Race to Dubai champion also filled third place in the April contest for his greenside bunker shot at the seventh hole, also on the final day at Augusta, which he almost holed for an improbable birdie.
Second place went to England’s Mark Foster, who blasted the ball onto the green from thick rough at the 14th hole of the final round of the Open de España at Real Club de Golf de Sevilla, a stroke which helped him into a tie for third place behind Spaniard Alvaro Quiros.
The Shot of the Month is awarded to the Tour Member for the shot judged to be the best played each month on The European Tour International Schedule. At the end of the season, the winning shot from each month will be nominated for The European Tour Shot of the Year Award.
The monthly winners to date in 2010 have been Martin Kaymer of Germany (January), England’s Ian Poulter (February) and Noh Seung-yul of Korea (March).
