Westwood bid back on course

Three birdies in his first five holes at Carnoustie this morning reignited Lee Westwood’s bid to grab the world number one spot off Tiger Woods.

Needing a top two finish in the Dunhill Links Championship – and struggling with a recurrence of his calf injury – Westwood was in joint 32nd spot overnight.

But although he bogeyed the short 13th the 37-year-old’s birdies at the 11th, 12th and 14th lifted him into a tie for 13th and only a stroke off fifth place at four under par.

Fellow Englishman John Parry, a brilliant 12 under at halfway, was just about to start the defence of his four-shot lead, but Westwood’s Ryder Cup team-mate Ross Fisher made a shocking opening with a double bogey at the 10th and bogey on the next.

He had been in joint third when he resumed.