Lee Westwood’s caddie wife Helen shows PGA stars how to master Sawgrass by hitting green on notorious 17th hole
Lee Westwood’s wife, Helen delighted her huge army of American admirers by hitting the green at the famous 17th hole at Sawgrass – a hole where many of golf’s greatest names have dumped plenty of balls in the pond.
Helen celebrated with a dance that sparked a loud chorus of wolf whistles.
And she refused to be downhearted when her attempt to repeat the feat left her with that same sinking feeling the pros competing for this week’s record £15million prize fund in Florida have experienced so often
Helen decided to take a practice shot the day before the traditional curtain-raiser to the Players Championship, when caddies have a nearest the pin competition for a big cash prize donated by their employers.
She certainly needed the practice. Helen revealed she had not swung a club since dumping the ball in the water at the tricky island hole 12 months earlier, and she still does not have an official handicap.
But she earned a massive cheer by hitting the green, and there were more roars of approval as she celebrated with a little shimmy in front of the tee.
Sadly, there was no repeat performance in the actual competition.
Helen ‘topped’ her tee shot and sent her ball scuttling into the lake barely twenty yards from the tee.
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But she shrugged that off, saying: “That wasn’t pretty, but my first shot is out there on Instagram, and no-one can ever take that away from me.
“For the record, it was a nine iron from 135 yards, and it finished 15 feet from the flag.
“I was proud of that, especially as I still don’t have a handicap.
“I just don’t fancy playing a load of rounds back home in the cold and wet to get a card.
“I’ll leave the playing to Lee, with just the odd reminder of the 17th at Sawgrass – part one, anyway!”