LEE WESTWOOD’S stint as touring professional for The Flaxby Country Resort has ended – but chiefs at the development insist the parting is only temporary.

The world number two golfer has been unveiled as the star signing at the £7.5 million Close House Golf Club, near Newcastle, and Flaxby’s owner, The Skelwith Group, has confirmed it has agreed to let him “go elsewhere” while their reconstruction project remains in limbo.

Westwood, who finished third in June’s US Open at Congressional, was revealed as the face of Flaxby’s £100 million concept in late 2009 and agreed, in tandem with leading course architect Cabel Robinson, to redesign the par-72 track.

That will still continue and Flaxby chiefs will press on with plans to re-launch their onsite training facility as a Lee Westwood academy later this year.

But until construction work, which has been repeatedly delayed by planning difficulties, is completed, Westwood has been given the green light to represent Close House.

As part of that deal, Westwood’s management team revealed the Close House logo would appear on his cap at every event along with an announcement of his relationship with the venue on every tee.

Ben Pilgrim, public relations spokesman for The Skelwith Group, said the decision was a “sensible” one for both parties in the light of present circumstances.

“We had a meeting with his people about six weeks ago. We are still not under construction yet and we will be 18 months away when we do start. We thought it was in everyone’s best interests to say he could go elsewhere for at least this season and possibly the next.

“We are still actively working with him on the golf course redesign and we are looking to bring forward the opening of the Lee Westwood Academy to this year.

“We have released him from his touring professional responsibilities for a while until we are in a position to take them up. He will be contracted to us as a touring professional (in the future).

“He won’t then be able to be the official touring professional at Close House, although I’m sure he will have some ambassadorial role.”