By Norman Dabell
Vilamoura, Portugal - Britain's Lee Westwood shrugged off a bee sting to keep up the pressure on Europe's money-list leader Rory McIlroy in Thursday's Portugal Masters opening round.
Westwood's six-under 66 left him three strokes behind leader Francesco Molinari of Italy, while an enigmatic 69 by McIlroy kept the Race to Dubai leader well down the field.
Europe's 2000 money-list winner Westwood is determined to claim the 2009 version which ends with the Dubai World Championship next month, even though he has not had a victory this season. Westwood feels the time is ripe to make his move.
"If I don't win this year it will be disappointing and if I don't win the order of merit it will be, too," Westwood told reporters after handing in a seven-birdie card. "For me it's all about winning, second's no good. It's about time to start winning."
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Victory and a €500 000 first prize, would take Westwood past money-list front-runner McIlroy, who began well with four successive birdies from the second but struggled with his putter on the back nine. Martin Kaymer and Paul Casey, second and third in the money-list, are not playing.
One of Westwood's birdies came on the 17th, his eighth hole, after he had been stung on the leg. "I soon brushed it off, I'm not allergic to them," he added. "I was more disturbed about not making any putts at all."
While Westwood aims for the top, leader Molinari's goal is a top-15 place in the Race to Dubai, to earn a share in the $7,5-million bonus pool after the closing Dubai World Championship. He currently lies 23rd.
Five birdies in seven holes on the back nine for a 63 took the Italian two strokes past Britain's Justin Rose and Alastair Forsyth and South African Charl Schwartzel.
Rose is playing his mandatory second Europe-based event of the European Tour season on the way to fulfilling his 12 tournaments to retain tour membership.
Europe's 2007 order of merit winner, who has played mainly in the United States again this year, will toe the line and play at least four Europe-based events next year if a radical change to European membership rules goes ahead later in the day.
"It certainly doesn't make life easier and I'm not singing and dancing about it," Rose told reporters, "but it's important to the tour and I'll have to knuckle down."
Editing by Justin Palmer
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