Lee Westwood aims to end a 10-year barren run in America by winning the WGC Bridgestone Invitational, after a round of 67 took him to the top of the leaderboard going into the final round.

The Worksop golfer, who first started using the consultancy services with StrokeAverage.com in 2005, is tied on eight-under alongside Vijay Singh and world number two Phil Mickelson.

Lee Westwood's last victory in America came in the 1998 Freeport-McDermott Classic in New Orleans.

But after his third-placed finish in the US Open at Torrey Pines Golf Club, in June, the Ryder Cup golfing star is confident he can go one better than in San Diego, where he finished a shot shy of Rocco Mediate and Tiger Woods, who eventually won his 13th Golf Major in a play-off.

The 35-year-old did not feel any disappointment of not landing the first Golf Major to go with his 27 career victories.

Lee Westwood, who won the 2007 British Masters at The Belfry, said: “I’m not worried about not winning. I’m just delighted about the consistency.

“I know that winning is very fickle. I went three years without winning and then won twice within four weeks.

“Winning is strange. Sometimes it doesn't go your way, sometimes somebody else plays a bit better,” added Lee Westwood who won the BMW International and the Dunhill Links Championship in the space of a month back in 2003.

“I could be easily US Open champion, but I didn't do the job when I needed to.

“All you can do is give yourself chances, and I've given myself a lot of chances.”

Lee Westwood vaulted up the leaderboard during the second round at the Firestone Country Club, in Akron, Ohio, where Tiger Woods has recorded six victories in the World Golf Championship events staged there.

A five-under par 65 lifted Lee Westwood from down in 34th after his opening 70 to second place, two behind Vijay Singh..

And three birdies in his first three holes of the third round saw the golfer leading on nine-under.

The lead swapped back and forth as Phil Mickelson recovered from a couple of errors to fire three birdies in a row from the 13th only to take five at the 17th to end up in the penultimate group going out on Sunday.

Victory in the Bridgestone Invitational would be the perfect preparation for Lee Westwood going into the final Golf Major of the year, the US PGA Championship, at Oaklands Hill Golf Club, where Lee Westwood was a member of the winning European team in the 2004 Ryder Cup.

"It would mean a lot," he said. "These are a rung down from the Major championships, obviously, but I haven't won a World Golf Championships.

“So that's obviously missing on my CV and it would mean a lot, and obviously give me a massive amount of confidence going into next week, too.

“I think consistency is what all professionals want. That’s what it’s about, really. “Obviously the more consistency, the higher you get up in the world rankings.

“If you show the consistency the wins will just come.

“The more often you get yourself into the fray and feel the pressure of the last group and needing to make putts at certain times, the more comfortable you get, and then the wins come from there.

“If I hadn’t won in the States I’d feel there was something missing in my career," he added.

“You want to win everywhere, don’t you, that you're capable of winning.

“I'm proud that I’ve won on every Tour basically, European, Asian, and Southern African.”

Golf article end.