Westwood ends title drought
Source: Agencies |
October 20, 2009, Tuesday
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BRITAIN'S former European No. 1 Lee Westwood won the Portugal Masters on Sunday to move top of the 2009 order of merit.
A closing 6-under-par 66 for a 23-under 265 four-round total earned the Englishman his first European Tour title in more than two years. He finished two strokes ahead of Italy's Francesco Molinari in Vilamoura.
Westwood's US$730,000 first prize took him comfortably past the previous money-list (Race to Dubai) leader Rory McIlroy, who finished well down the field.
Trailing double US Open winner Retief Goosen by three strokes overnight, Westwood took a firm hold of the tournament with birdies at the first four holes.
Molinari, recovering from a double-bogey on the seventh, caught Westwood by the 12th, only to let his rival get away by missing a putt of under three feet on the 16th to bogey.
Westwood survived a visit to the Victoria club gardens after a wayward approach to the long 17th green and his birdie there with a stunning shot from over trees closed out Molinari.
"I had just the start I wanted today and from then on played patient golf just like I did 10 years ago," he told reporters after his 19th European Tour win.
"I said a couple of weeks ago I needed to win twice to have chance of winning the order of merit, so I'm looking for the other one now. Winning is definitely a habit and I'd got out of it. Hopefully I've got the habit back."
Including the US$15 million Dubai World Championship finale, there are a maximum five events left for the order of merit title-chasers.
McIlroy tried to make it difficult for Westwood to overhaul him and lay 8-under for the day playing the last. When he found water, the 20-year-old Northern Irishman had to settle for a 66 and 12-under, earning him only 30th place.
Three-time major champion Padraig Harrington, citing dehydration for a lackluster third round, chased the leading pair hard but the Irishman ran out of steam.
Despite a bogey on the last for a 67, Harrington, finishing four strokes behind Westwood, took third, a shot better than Swede Peter Hanson (68) and Germany's Marcel Siem (67).
In Las Vegas, Briton Martin Laird beat American George McNeill on the third playoff hole to claim his first PGA Tour victory at the Las Vegas Open on Sunday.
Laird clinched the title with a par on the 18th to earn US$756,000 and a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour.
A closing 6-under-par 66 for a 23-under 265 four-round total earned the Englishman his first European Tour title in more than two years. He finished two strokes ahead of Italy's Francesco Molinari in Vilamoura.
Westwood's US$730,000 first prize took him comfortably past the previous money-list (Race to Dubai) leader Rory McIlroy, who finished well down the field.
Trailing double US Open winner Retief Goosen by three strokes overnight, Westwood took a firm hold of the tournament with birdies at the first four holes.
Molinari, recovering from a double-bogey on the seventh, caught Westwood by the 12th, only to let his rival get away by missing a putt of under three feet on the 16th to bogey.
Westwood survived a visit to the Victoria club gardens after a wayward approach to the long 17th green and his birdie there with a stunning shot from over trees closed out Molinari.
"I had just the start I wanted today and from then on played patient golf just like I did 10 years ago," he told reporters after his 19th European Tour win.
"I said a couple of weeks ago I needed to win twice to have chance of winning the order of merit, so I'm looking for the other one now. Winning is definitely a habit and I'd got out of it. Hopefully I've got the habit back."
Including the US$15 million Dubai World Championship finale, there are a maximum five events left for the order of merit title-chasers.
McIlroy tried to make it difficult for Westwood to overhaul him and lay 8-under for the day playing the last. When he found water, the 20-year-old Northern Irishman had to settle for a 66 and 12-under, earning him only 30th place.
Three-time major champion Padraig Harrington, citing dehydration for a lackluster third round, chased the leading pair hard but the Irishman ran out of steam.
Despite a bogey on the last for a 67, Harrington, finishing four strokes behind Westwood, took third, a shot better than Swede Peter Hanson (68) and Germany's Marcel Siem (67).
In Las Vegas, Briton Martin Laird beat American George McNeill on the third playoff hole to claim his first PGA Tour victory at the Las Vegas Open on Sunday.
Laird clinched the title with a par on the 18th to earn US$756,000 and a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour.
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