Putting vital to Westwood’s hopes of closing the gap on world No 1 Donald

The world No 2 has Martin Kaymer and Rory McIlroy, the two men directly below him in the rankings, for company at a tournament he won in 1999 and last played in 2002.

“I’d like to play well in all of them,” he said of the run-in to the Dubai World Championship.

“I think the Money List is still there. There’s a chance of that – if I can start stringing some wins together, there’s some big tournaments for a lot of money.

“I want to try and get a bit closer to Luke in the world rankings, improve my putting as the year progresses, and get in the gym and try and focus on fitness.”

Sheffield’s Danny Willett comes into the tournament on the back of a better putting display in Switzerland, but only after he abandoned an experiment with the belly putter in a disastrous opening round of 77.

He said: “My problem is a confidence one and if I can hole a few I think it will come right with the conventional putter.”

Malton’s Simon Dyson, who won the Dutch Open in 2006 and and 2009, competes, as does Harrogate’s John Parry.