TEN years down the line from winning his first Order of Merit title, Lee Westwood couldn't 'give a monkey's what anyone thinks anymore'.

Being Europe's top-rated player on the World Rankings at No.4 and England's No.1, carries its own pressures, something the 36-year-old Worksop player had difficulty coming to terms with a decade ago.

The result was that he had a horrendous following season, slipping down the rankings and by the end of 2002 he had all but disappeared of the radar.

His expectations are no different now than they were in 2000 but he can handle the pressure far better this time around.

"I think the pressure comes with the job, doesn't it?" said the Notts Ryder Cup star.

"I'm a bit more experienced this time and I tend to not really give a monkey's what anybody thinks anymore. Not even the Press."

Following 2000, he was the only British golfer in the world's top 100 and, with it, came the expectations of the British media.

"I think ten years ago, I won the Order of Merit and got to fourth in the world, the expectations were from the outside a little bit more," said Westwood.

"You can get a little bit carried away with it and it can affect the way you think as an individual. Other people's expectations can affect your expectations and what's in your mind."

Westwood is presently in Miami playing in the WGC-CA Championship after another top-ten finish last week when he finished tied ninth in the Honda Classic.

But his performance was hindered by a freak injury which restricted his swing.

He said: "I had not played coming into the event because I had strained my right knee ligament.

"It's a seven-to ten-day recovery thing for that. So I couldn't really do any twisting on it. I did it pulling a pair of boots on. Something as innocuous as that. Got in the wrong position, I guess."

Britain's prolonged cold spell has not helped.

He added: "The weather has been cold and I don't fancy going out to work on my game anyway at this time of the year.

"So that's really the reason that I felt a bit rusty, and the knee injury I suppose but that's all sorted out. It felt stronger as the week went on.

"I didn't have any pain playing golf, but I just didn't quite have the confidence in it to load it and unload it when I wanted to. So I wasn't quite hitting the ball how I would like."