Westwood begins recuperation for Ryder Cup in Sheffield

"Never have I been so excited about a Jaguar corporate day," joked the world No 3 after a round at Lindrick near Sheffield that was his first time on a golf course since his ruptured calf muscle flared again on August 6.

"I was a bit rusty, but I had six birdies and an eagle – in a 30mph wind."

Westwood feels as certain as he can that he will not only be winning a seventh cap against the Americans at Celtic Manor, but playing a full part in the match.

His fitness trainer, Steve McGregor, who has been supervising his rehabilitation, accompanied the 37-year-old and, despite the "fairly undulating" lay-out, allowed Westwood to play the first 14 holes on foot before insisting he ride the final four in a buggy.

The daily workouts will continue before Europe's highest-ranked and most experienced team member plays in a charity event at Archerfield in Scotland next Monday and Tuesday.

He plans to walk both rounds there and will put himself through 36 holes in one day – the same format as the opening two days of the Ryder Cup – next Friday.

"That's for my own piece of mind really," said Westwood. "If the Ryder Cup was a week earlier I would have made it, but coming when it does I could just take my time and ease my way into it.

"The treatment is going to continue through the Ryder Cup and beyond, though.

"The European Tour have said that Steve can be with me in the week of the match. I want no flare-ups and I want to play a full schedule for the rest of the season."

Westwood has been troubled by his calf all year, but it was on the eve of the French Open at the end of June that things got so bad he was taken to hospital in Paris. He played that week and, despite the diagnosis of a ruptured plantaris muscle, managed second place in The Open at St Andrews two weeks later.

Come the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio, three weeks after that, however, he quit on the second day – and has not played competitively since.

South Africa's George Coetzee boosted his hopes of retaining his European Tour card after shooting a seven-under-par 65 to take a one-shot lead at the Austrian Open in Atzenbrugg.

The 24-year-old is back in 142nd place on the Race to Dubai standings, with only the top 115 retaining their cards for next season, but he put those concerns to one side with a round comprising eight birdies and just a single dropped shot.

He holds a slender lead over Terry Pilkadaris and Jose Manuel Lara, another man battling to keep hold of his tour status.

Yorkshire duo Danny Willett and John Parry ended the opening day as part of a large group at three under par.