GWENT stars Phillip Price and Bradley Dredge were locked together on level par yesterday after the first round of the British Masters at the Forest of Arden.

Blackwood's Dredge was at two over for his round at one time but dropped a couple of strokes.

The two Gwent players were seven strokes behind overnight leader Peter Fowler, of Australia, who shot a stunning 65.

Meanwhile, Lee Westwood bears no ill-feeling towards Scottish caddie Dave Renwick, who this week left him to link up again with world number four Vijay Singh.

"Dave stuck with me longer than I would have if I had been working for me," said the former European number one, who currently languishes 246th in the world and has not had a top 10 finish for nearly two years.

"I'm pleased that he got a good bag. Each week Vijay seems to be up there and Dave also likes working in America.

"I got the feeling every time we went over there that there was a bit more of a buzz about him.

"He told me earlier on this week, which was fair enough. When you are changing caddies there is a bit of arranging to do and you have the get the right order."

However, what Renwick might miss this week is the confirmation that Westwood, 30 in April, is on his way back.

The Worksop golfer resumed the Daily Telegraph Damovo British Masters today on five under par, only two shots behind Australian Peter Fowler.

"As soon as you say you are back there is only one way to go, so I am not really interested in talking too much about that," he added.

"I am happier that my scores are beginning to reflect the way I have been playing over the past few weeks. If I work on the right things and keep grooving the same things and build up some consistency on my swing then it is going to get progressively better.

"I have full faith in David (new coach David Leadbetter). He has given me a lot of time and mapped out for me what we were going to work on. It's been improving week to week, even when I have been missing the cut.

Westwood hopes he has at last found a driver that can set him up for better scores.

"This new one is the first one I really feel comfortable with since 2000, when the face of one I had been using for three years caved in on the 17th tee at Valderrama."

That was the week of the American Express world championship, when Westwood finished second to Canadian Mike Weir - now the Masters champion, of course - and clinched the European Order of Merit crown.

He has not won since and currently lies 157th on the money list with only £23,406 from nine starts.