LEE Westwood's return to the winner's circle on Sunday after three barren years was premature but not entirely unexpected, according to his manager, Andrew ''Chubby' Chandler, who fancies the 30-year-old Englishman to win again before the end of the season. The victory in the BMW International Open in Munich unfortunately came a week too early to count for Ryder Cup points which are up for grabs starting with this week's Omega European Masters in Switzerland, but with European golf in the doldrums any lift like this and tthe recent performances of Darren Clarke and Justin Rose in America are welcome.

Chandler identified last year's Ryder Cup, in which Westwood collected three points, all in partnership with Spaniard Sergio Garcia, as the performance that convinced him that the man from Worksop, who came close to giving up golf in this period, had not lost his nerve.

''That showed he could play under any amount of pressure you could put his way,'' said Chandler yesterday. ''He came into the Ryder Cup with half a game and the way he played proved to me that he still had it in him to win, it was just that he never got himself into a winning position.''

Westwood's last win was in the 2000 world matchplay at Wentworth where he beat Colin Montgomerie in the final. Then he was riding high at world No4, but after taking a break around the birth of son Samuel in April 2001, his form steadily declined to the point last week where he was world No215.

He reckons that slump was more due to flaws in his swing than any softening of attitude in the wake of fatherhood.

That being the case, he should be able to build on this victory which will put him back in or close to the world's top 100 when the world rankings are updated today following the Deutsche Back Championship in Boston.

There have been significant changes. He has taken on Pete Coleman, Bernhard Langer's caddie of 22 years, and has spent seven months under the tutelage of David Leadbetter, whose assessment last month was that Westwood's swing was as good as it had ever been. It was now only a matter of confidence, and that was on the rise with a ninth place in the Smurfit European Open, 14th in the Barclays Scottish Open and 11th in the Irish Open.

Chandler said a three-week sojourn to the US, especially the US PGA Championship at Oak Hill, was a key part of the rehabilitation. Although he missed the cut at Oak Hill he at least sampled a course tough in comparison with last week's layout where he finished 19 under par.

''I thought he was due to have a top-five finish, but he has missed out that stage and gone straight to a win,'' said Chandler. ''Now that he has done it, you would bet on him doing it again before the end of the year.''

Westwood, who has one of the best records of winning when in contention, is taking a pre-planned break this week before tackling three in a row, the Lancome Trophy, German Masters and Dunhill Links Championship.

Terry Gale, winner of the Charles Church Scottish Senior Open at the Roxburghe on Sunday, has a smooth and full swing, well beyond the parallel, not what you expect to see from the normally diminishing powers of a 57-year-old.

Thinking Gale might be an Australian version of South African fitness fanatic Gary Player, I asked him the secret of his suppleness.

''I do some stretching each morning and after I have finished playing, but mainly for a stiff back really. I am not the most supple person, I can tell you, but somehow it works for my swing. I never did stretching when I was young because we never did those things. They all do now, of course.

''No, I don't do any gym work and I'm not going to start because I might find muscles I never knew I had. I can't run either because my knees are no good.''

Clutching the huge trophy he then strode off into the sunset, a hero for the indolent.

The size of gallery following Sam Torrance, meanwhile, showed the need for crowd pullers on the European Seniors Tour, but although there have been discussions with the European to lower the age of eligibility to 48 to hasten the arrivals of the likes of Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam, it is remaining at 50 for the foreseeable future.