Billy Foster’s job as Lee Westwood’s caddie is not on the line, but if Helen Storey continues to impress the way she has the first two days, he will surely have tough competition.

With his full-time bagman not available this week following the death of his father, Westwood turned to his girlfriend Storey, and the two have combined well on the golf course.

The 43-year-old Englishman added a three-under par 69 to his 68 on Thursday and was five shots adrift of the leader Martin Kaymer at the halfway stage of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, at seven-under par.

And despite coming in after a bogey on his closing hole yesterday, Westwood was in good spirits and said: “I haven’t played very well on this course in the last few years, and obviously it is the first time of the year and I am a bit rusty, so it is nice to pick up straightaway and get into contention.

“I did not have much expectation, but it wasn’t as if I was hitting the ball badly. I hit the ball pretty well in the range on Monday to Wednesday and played OK in the pro-am.

“I think it is important to get into contention any time of the year. The more you play in those final groups, play under pressure, the more you get used to it. There was a time when I was in contention in most tournaments I teed up at, so I’d like to get back that kind of consistency.”

When asked about his new caddie and how the dynamics were working for him, the three-time European No1 said: “We clearly get on.

“It’s no problem if she wants to carry the golf bag. My only worry is that I would not like to carry it around myself, and it is only going to get warm as the week goes on. But she is a strong, fit lass and she said she could handle it.

“One of my other jobs out there, apart from the yardages, is to make sure she drinks enough water. She doesn’t play a lot of golf, so she can’t say the wrong thing. So she is almost the perfect caddie.

“I think she is very much up for the weekend. She did say that if you are in contention and one of the other boys miss the cut and you can get a good caddie out there, don’t be afraid to drop me. But there is absolutely no chance of that.”