Sports

Westwood, Donald look to end major drought at Open

Lee Westwood (Getty Images)

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LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England — They are both golfers from England who are ranked among the top three in the world and seeking their first major championship victory.

That, however, is where the similarities between Luke Donald and Lee Westwood end as each pursues his first major title at the British Open, which begins tomorrow, at Royal Lytham.

While Donald, ranked No. 1 in the world, by his own admission gets too high strung for majors, Westwood acts as if he could care less whether he wins one or not — though that couldn’t be further from the truth.

“There’s not much that gets to me, winds me up,’’ Westwood said yesterday.

“I have been getting a little bit too uptight and anxious at majors,’’ Donald said. “It’s a very normal mode to switch into because the pressure is that much more. You want it that much more.’’

Donald, recognizing his shortcomings in major championships, sought out the advice of fellow Englishman and six-time major winner Nick Faldo last month at the Memorial.

“I have no ego on these matters. I just want to win one,’’ Donald said.

“For me it’s now all about getting into a relaxed attitude and letting it happen. Nick explained that the way he went about it was by playing shots he was comfortable with. In a way, I went against that rule in the U.S. Open [where he missed the cut].’’

Donald’s biggest hurdle in majors has been getting through the opening round unscathed and in good position. He enters this week having not broken 70 in the opening round of a major since 2006.

“I’ve thought about it a lot,’’ Donald said. “In the first round of majors it’s about having the right focus and not being too anxious. This time around, I’m going to treat the Open like it is just another tournament.’’

Phil Mickelson, who famously went through a drought of 47 majors without winning a title while fashioning the label as “the best player never to win a major,’’ understands the anxiety Donald feels, because he lived it before finally breaking through in 2004 at Augusta.

“I had to try to calm myself down all the time constantly heading into majors,’’ Mickelson said. “So I found myself constantly having to slow down my thoughts and try to get control of my thoughts and play the golf course effectively. It helped me when I started getting in contention a lot more … because the more times you’re in contention, the more you understand the process of what happens, what goes wrong and how to fix it.”

Despite having gone 57 majors without a win, this is the attitude Westwood has adopted after several close calls in majors, such as a third-place finish at the 2008 U.S. Open and a tie for third at the 2009 British Open.

Westwood said yesterday his close calls have left him pressing “less if anything’’ than he used to.

“I think I’ve gotten more relaxed and just sort of played and let the cards fall where they may, really,’’ he said. “I know my game is good enough to win when I play well enough. So that’s what I try to do. After that, it’s out of your hands.’’

Padraig Harrington, the last player to win consecutive majors (the last 15 majors since have produced 15 different winners), likes the path both Westwood and Donald are taking and believes each will have his breakthrough moment.

“Lee is there or thereabouts every time and is doing everything right,’’ Harrington said. “The more times you get in contention the more times you are going to win. If things had gone his way he could be sitting on three or four majors himself.

“The good news for Lee is he is still playing well and is a great player going forward. He’s like Phil Mickelson (was before winning the Masters in 2004). I believe he is going to win a major and when he does it will make it easier for him to win three or four.

“It’s all about getting the first.’’

mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com