Westwood on Woods: 'I know what it's like...'

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- World No. 2 Lee Westwood spent much of last year managing an injured calf, so he can sympathize with what Tiger Woods is going through, trying to have both his body and his game ready for championship golf.

"I was injured all the second part of last year, so I know what it's like to try and play with an injury," said Westwood who suffered a torn plantaris muscle in his right calf in June. He was hobbled when he finished second in The Open Championship at St. Andrews, had to withdraw after 36-holes of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone CC and skipped the PGA Championship in an effort to get healthy enough to play on the victorious European side in the Ryder Cup in Wales.

"I can't really comment on Tiger as such, but I know if you're going to play well and contend for tournaments you have to be practicing hard. And no matter who you are, you need to be pretty much on the top of your game. To do that, you have to be able to go home away from tournaments and work constantly on your game, really," said Westwood, who is defending his title at the FedEx St. Jude Classic. "And if you're injured -- all I was doing was going home, going in the gym, having physio, having massage on my leg -- which I would imagine is what Tiger is going through. After that they say he's supposed to rest it and there's no time to practice. If you don't feel like you've dedicated the right amount of time to your game to get to a stage where you're competitive enough to be right up there, then there's no point in really being there. So, I can see why he's pulled out. I think it's a mistake to try and play injured. I know what he's going through and you have to try and get yourself back to 100 percent fit."

-- Jim Moriarty