Talk about being married to the game.
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It's like if Pippen wed Jordan; if Young had given Rice another ring; if Curry and Thompson were more than just Splash Brothers.
OK. It's not that serious. But grant me this: you'd think there'd be a rule against dating a teammate. But there isn't. At least not in golf.
This isn't news to PGA Tour fans. Golfers have a long history of putting family on the bag and wives have carried for their husbands professionally. The golfer-caddie relationship is unlike any other in sport. That's how Lee Westwood ended up engaged to his caddie.
But before you call HR, hear them out. They got together before she worked for him. Plus, she has no prior experience. The Englishman Westwood fired his professional caddie to make room for his girlfriend. The love birdies have been on par ever since.
Westwood and Helen Storey added a runner-up finish behind Justin Thomas (and ahead of American Bryson DeChambeau) at The Players Championship in March 2021 to their resume.
With the Brit shooting this well, Westwood's fiancee Helen Storey may have other golfers looking at their loved ones and wondering, "Could you carry my bags?"
Lee Westwood's Golf Career
Lee John Westwood was born on April 24, 1973, in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England. The number one song in Britain and the US was "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree" by Dawn featuring Tony Orlando. The song title is about how the Scots invented golf.
These days, Lee John is better known as Lee Westwood the 47-year-old professional English golfer. Westwood introduced himself to the golf world in 1993 and has been a regular on the World Golf Leaderboard ever since. He's scratched up a stellar career, but has never won any major championships.
Westwood has won a tournament in every decade since the 90s, including on the PGA Tour (twice). He regularly represents the Royal Family in the biennial Ryder Cup and won the cross-Atlantic rivalry in 2010 with a clutch putt. Ryder Cup history has seen more memorable putts since then, but in 2010, Westwood's was the Putt Heard Round the World.
Westwood's career pulled a Ted Kennedy from 2014-2018. With a 20-year career suddenly stuck in the bunker, some veterans might have pulled up a chair and called it a beach. Not Westwood, though. The Brit belonged on the dance floor. He just needed a new dance partner.
In success and struggle, Westwood kept a tight team of caddies in the clubhouse. The Newcastle golfer worked with former Tiger Woods-caddie Billy Foster for most of 2008-2018, but he also dumped him twice. Sam Westwood, Lee's son, caddies for his father on occasion. The same can't be said for Westwood's daughter Poppy.
In 2018, Westwood sent Foster packing for good. Westwood's split with Billy Foster mirrored his split with his wife. Helen Storey waited in the wings of both divorces.
Who is Westwood's Fiancee Helen Storey?
For Helen Storey, caddying is much more than work - it's love.
Westwood's caddie is his fiancee; his fiancee is his caddie. But professional golf caddie Helen Storey is much more than a pretty face who can carry stuff.
She's also a personal fitness instructor from Newcastle with a large social media following. Three years ago, she joined Westwood on the links, but we're getting ahead of ourselves.
We can't talk about Westwood's soon-to-be wife without talking about his old one.
Lee Westwood's Love Life
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Lee Westwood was married to Laurae Coltart from 1999-2015. The couple split the same year Storey and Westwood started dating. Laurae claims Westwood was out of bounds during the final round of their marriage, but Westwood denies the accusations of being a knee-knocker.
(As unpleasant as it sounds, British businessman Graham Wylie has had a hand in Westwood's love life since the 1990s. He introduced the English golfer to future ex-wife Laurae Coltart. He's also been married to Helen Storey's sister since 2003. Why Wylie is so involved in the English golfer's dating decisions is unclear, but he's undeniably there.)
Westwood and Storey have been together off the golf course since his 2015 divorce. Beginning in 2018, they've been together on it.
With Storey on the bag, Westwood started winning again for the first time in a nearly four-year stretch.
They've won the Nedbank Golf Challenge, played in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, missed the 2020 Valero Texas Open due to the coronavirus pandemic, won at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship near Dubai, placed second in both TPC Sawgrass and the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, and failed to make the Honda Classic... so you might say it's been a mixed bag of irons.
He's no Tiger in his prime, but Westwood has seen a resurgence since adding Storey to his Story.
Lee Westwood's Son at 2021 Masters
It’s THAT week of the year again⛳️👏🏼 #TheMasters
Who is excited??@WestwoodSamuel1 pic.twitter.com/2qL0TZzml4
— Lee Westwood (@WestwoodLee) April 6, 2021
Unfortunately for this story, Storey won't carry for Westwood this year at The Masters. He will be accompanied by his son Sam Westwood instead. With his son by his side, the only way for the Redcoat to get the Green Jacket is the fairway.
The Dad and Lad duo will face familiar foes on the Augusta National Golf Course from the likes of Dustin Johnson (shooting for a repeat), Jordan Spieth, and Rory McIlroy, to name a few. Vegas has Westwood at 36-1 odds to win it all and the Westwood's arrived early in Augusta for a warm-up round.
Westwood wants momentum driving into this summer's PGA Championship and US Open. To win the Open, he has to generate that momentum in Augusta.
Other Famous Teammate Couples?
Teamwork is required for any good relationship. Westwood and caddie Helen Storey are just working on their game.
But are there other famous teammate couples? Not that I can find. Indeed, the phenomenon seems to be contained to the golfing world, unless you count tennis doubles.
If Westwood's success continues, he won't be the last golfer to give his love a life on the links. He certainly isn't the first.
