Westwood confirms US move

Lee Westwood has revealed that he will be moving to the USA at the end of the year to try to keep himself at the top of the sport.

The 39-year-old's latest attempt to win a major ended in failure after a final-round 73 at the US Open saw him slip back to five-over-par and a share of 10th place. The Englishman went into Sunday's 18 holes three shots off the lead but his challenge effectively ended on the fifth hole as his ball got stuck in a tree after an errant drive and a double bogey followed. He maintained his composure throughout the round but had too much to do to catch the leaders and he has now made 57 unsuccessful attempts to win one of the four big events. But his career could never be described in the same way, with 40 titles to his name worldwide, while he has been one of the most consistent players in the majors over the past three years. But it is major titles that he craves with the Open Championship next on the agenda later this summer. Westwood still lives near his Worksop birthplace and splits his time between the European and PGA Tours, but he feels that plying his trade stateside for the majority of the year is the best way to improve his game for the remainder of his career. "There are a number of reasons but the main one is I haven't got that much time left at the top and I want to give myself the best chance of staying there as long as I can," he told the Daily Mail. "I am moving to America at the end of this year because, with our weather, it is hard to practise when you want to practise in the UK." And he made it clear that he will head to America with the full blessing of his family and is looking to put down roots for some time. "The rest of the family are really excited about the move, " he added in the Daily Express. "And I can see us spending the next five to 10 years in America."