As Tiger Woods was preparing to play his final shot to the 18th green at Torrey Pines yesterday, Lee Westwood was reflecting on a good day at the office and the fact that he held the clubhouse lead in the US Open with one round to play.

The Englishman was delighted to be leading the second major championship of the year and would have been as aware as anyone of one of the great quirks of the modern game - one that inevitably involves the world No.1.

For despite winning 13 professional major championships, Woods has never come through to win one if he has been trailing at the start of the final day. He has come close, but for some reason has always been held at bay.

Nobody truly believes that Woods has a final-round jinx in the majors (although he often comes from behind to win other tournaments), but players will cling to any hope that there might be just a small chink in the armour of the greatest player the game has seen.

Westwood would not have been able to escape the whoops and the cheers as Woods sank another outrageous putt for an eagle at the last that took him from trailing to leading the Englishman in one fell swoop. The importance of the moment would certainly not have been lost on him either.

All records have to be brought to an end, however, and maybe Westwood is the man to do it. If he had seen Woods limping his way to the 18th green and defying the pain of a knee that underwent arthroscopic surgery just nine weeks ago, then he might have wondered if the American can get through another 18 holes.

They are all saying it here: Woods is beating them on one leg. Whatever next?