Lee Westwood is optimistic that the European Tourโs planned resumption at the Betfred British Masters will go ahead in July.
Westwood will host the tournament at Close House, which is scheduled to be the first European Tour event since the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation or postponement of 17 competitions.
Speaking on the Golf Show on Sky Sports, Westwood revealed preparations for the event from July 30-August 2 were on track.
He said: โWeโre all ready to welcome everybody for the British Masters in July.
โThe course is already in fantastic condition as youโd expect. Theyโve had seven or eight weeks without any play so the green staff have been able to do some good work.
โIโve seen a massive change in the condition of the greens over the last couple of weeks since the weather got better.
โItโs an exciting time getting the course ready and hopefully it will be the start of the European season kicking off.
โHopefully it will be a great tournament and a great finish and a great way to start off the season again. Iโm sure everybody is keen to see some live golf.โ
The PGA Tour is planning a June return but Westwood has decided to focus on the European circuit due to quarantine regulations.
European Tour bosses are reportedly considering hosting several consecutive events in the United Kingdom to ease travel difficulties in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis.
With the possibility of spending two weeks before and after each US event in quarantine, Westwood has no intention of crossing the Atlantic in the near future.
โIt wasnโt a tough decision at all,โ he added.
โIโm not a member of the PGA Tour at the moment so I was going to be playing on a top 50 in the world exemption and the quarantine laws are quite strict โ there was a two-week quarantine going and a two-week quarantine coming back so it made no sense to go there.
โThe longer I can hold off getting on an aeroplane the better; I donโt feel comfortable travelling and Juneโs a bit soon for me so Iโm happy to sit it out.โ