Westy heads west

LEE Westwood will be spending a lot more time on the other side of the Atlantic ocean in 2012.

The world number three is to divide his time between Europe and America next year after deciding to rejoin the PGA Tour.

The move will bring about his return to the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass – a tournament he missed this year through scheduling issues, and he’ll also compete for the PGA Tour play-offs for the FedEx Cup.

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He said that he had one eye on the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club in Illinois when he made the decision.

“I missed The Players Championship last year when watching it on television,” he said.

“It was always a scheduling issue for me. Though the rules changed making it exempt from PGA Tour restrictions, I had already set my schedule for later in the year in Asia. I didn’t want to break any of those commitments.”

“It just felt right in Ryder Cup year to commit to a full programme in the United States.”

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His American exploits will begin in February at the Accenture World Match Play in Arizona, and while he is obliged to play a minimum of 15 events in the States, a statement from his management company ISM said his European Tour commitments will be unaffected.