Lee Westwood
A durable and world-class golfer whose consistent excellence across four different decades narrowly missed the ultimate major prizes.
Born 1973 (age 53)·English golfer·Birthday: April 24·Generation X
Biography
Lee Westwood built a career on remarkable resilience and world-class ball-striking, becoming a pillar of European golf. Turning professional in 1993, he quickly ascended, his powerful swing and competitive grit making him a fixture on leaderboards. He reached world number one in 2010, a testament to his sustained high performance despite the intense pressure of not having won a major championship—a narrative that often defined discussions about him. His success is truly global, with wins on five continents, and he has been a stalwart of the European Ryder Cup team, contributing crucial points in both victory and defeat. Now competing on the senior tour, Westwood's longevity and ability to win in the 2020s underscore a technically sound and fiercely determined athlete who maximized his talent over an extraordinary span.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Lee was born in 1973, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Lee Was Born
The biggest hits of 1973
#1 Movie
The Exorcist
Best Picture
The Sting
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Lee's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1973Born
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1978Started school
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1986Became a teenager
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Could drive
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1991Could vote
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Turned 21
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2003Turned 30
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 40
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 50
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 53 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- He held the world number one ranking in golf for 22 weeks in 2010 and again for 5 weeks in 2011.
- He won the European Tour Order of Merit (now Race to Dubai) in 2000, 2009, and 2020, a feat spanning two decades.
- He has represented Europe in the Ryder Cup ten times as a player (1997, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016).
- He is one of a select group of golfers to win professional tournaments in four different decades (1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s).
Did You Know?
He is an avid fan of the football club Nottingham Forest and was a talented footballer in his youth.
His son, Sam Westwood, has caddied for him professionally on tour.
He won the 1998 European Tour Golfer of the Year award despite not winning a tournament that season, due to his consistent high finishes.
He purchased the former home of golf legend Seve Ballesteros in 2012.
“The only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday.”
