Lee Westwood brands writer “b*** e**” over Bland tweet

Lee Westwood has branded a golf reporter a “b*** e**” over a tweet about fellow pro Richard Bland.

Westwood, 48, hit out at Golf Digest’s senior writer Joel Beall after he appeared to make a joke about the former world No.1’s compatriot.

Bland defeated Westwood to qualify for the knock-out stages of this week’s WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, setting up a last-16 clash with two-time major champion Dustin Johnson.

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Beall tweeted: “There’s an 80 percent chance Dustin Johnson looks at Richard Bland tomorrow and thinks an Austin Country Club member accidentally walked onto the first tee.”

Despite attempts by Beall and others to defend the tweet as a dig at Johnson, many interpreted it as a pop at Bland – including former world No.1 Westwood, who hit back with this reply.

This is the second time in as many weeks that Westwood has taken Beall to task.

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Following the unveiling of the LIV Golf Invitational Series – which Westwood has been heavily tipped to play on – Beall appeared to be making reference to the Trump Bedminster golf course when he tweeted: “Imagine going from hosting the PGA Championship to hosting a battle between Jason Kokrak and 49-year-old Lee Westwood.”

Westwood blasted those remarks as “ageist” and called Beall a “coward” for not tagging either him or Kokrak in the tweet, which was subsequently deleted.