Thursday 8 October 2015 09:48, UK
The circumstances are not ideal, but Lee Westwood hopes returning to the European Tour can reinvigorate his game and secure a 10th consecutive Ryder Cup appearance next year.
Westwood has given up his PGA Tour membership because he is currently going through a divorce, and has moved back to the UK from the family home in Florida to be close to his two children.
The 42-year-old won the Indonesian Masters in April but has slipped down the world rankings to 44th, with a place in the top-50 vital to secure entry to the majors and the World Golf Championship events next season.
Ahead of this week's British Masters at Woburn, Westwood said: "I've dropped a lot in the world rankings this year, so I need to address that and play well and get myself in the top 50 so I'm in all the events over in the States.
"But I'll play predominately on the European Tour, for personal reasons, so I can be where I need to be.
"Living in the States, my game didn't really move in the direction I wanted it to, but obviously that's not the reason I'm doing all this. I've always had priorities in life. I've always said that golf is not my main priority - obviously my kids are."
Westwood first became the world number one in October 2010, ending the record 281-week spell of Tiger Woods, and Westwood also enjoyed a second spell at the top of rankings the in April 2011.
Although Westwood admits golf does not mean as much to him as it did five or even 10 years ago, he insists he can get back to the upper echelons of the game.
He said: "I don't see any reason why not. Get my ducks in a row and I can focus on golf again.
"There's no sort of magic wand you can ever wave. You just have to go back to basics and do the drills and do the work, the hard work on the range that makes you hit it straight and close.
"I'm prepared to work hard. I'm in pretty good shape. I've got 42-year-old niggles but the back is still in good shape and knees and hips and shoulders are all good. It's just down to hard work, really.
"Unfortunately this year I've not really had time or been able to put into it, so it's no surprise that the game has suffered a little bit. We know how mental the game of golf is, as well, so mentally a lot has been going on which has affected me in the head.
"There's different things going on, but gradually I'm trying to sort everything out."
You can watch the entire British Masters on Sky Sports 1HD from 9am on Thursday October 8
Tickets for British Masters on the remaining days can be purchased online via www.europeantourtickets.com or www.sky.com/tickets or via the European Tour ticket hotline 0800 023 2557
