Lee Westwood wins Race to Dubai

Dubai: Lee Westwood steamrolled the competition on the final day of the Dubai World Championship with a course record eight-under-64 en route to victory in the $7.5 million (Dh27.5 million) tournament, which also won him the prestigious Race to Dubai title.

Westwood's pockets swelled by $2.75 million — $1.5 million from the Race to Dubai bonus pool and $1.25 million for first-place at the DWC — following his victory on the magnificent Earth Course.

His prize picking on Sunday took his earnings for the season to $6,297,315. In addition to the cash, Westwood's 20th victory on the European Tour also earned him a seven-year Tour exemption.

"I got the breaks when I needed them. I've learnt a lot from my own experience and it paid off.

"I'd have to say this is better [than when I won the Order of Merit in 2000]. I won six events then but then to drop into obscurity and get back into the top 10 in the world, obviously this means a lot," said Westwood, who took home the Harry Vardon trophy for winning the Race to Dubai.

"A lot of things have happened this week and I just tried to feed off the positives and not focus on the rest. I'm more mature now; I've learned a lot and there are less flaws in my game. I'm 36 now and you have that kind of [mentality] to know when you're playing well and when you're not."

Westwood's form was superb on all four days and everyone on Earth waited, watched and hoped with bated breath for his last putt to sink on the 18th.

It didn't and it didn't matter that it didn't as the 36-year-old had all but sealed victory with a dazzling performance that saw him pick five birdies before making the turn.

He had cemented his position on the leaderboard by picking shots on the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th and 7th and his fine run continued on the back nine as well where he grabbed another three shots for a 23-under-265 total that took him six clear of second-placed Ross McGowan, who shot a 17-under-271 over four days.

Rory McIlroy, on 15-under-273, was third, while Geoff Ogilvy and Padraig Harrington finished tied-fourth on 14-under 274.

Alexander Noren was alone at sixth a further stroke back, with Adam Scott and Sergio Garcia another shot behind on 12-under. Three others — Ian Poulter, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Peter Hanson — finished tied ninth after shooting a 10-under-278.

Westwood's only other Race to Dubai challenger after two rounds, McIlroy, who had to erase a five-stroke deficit on the final day, to win, shot par until the ninth.

He enjoyed a better back nine with birdies on the 10th, 11th, 13th, 14th and 17th, but the 18th proved disastrous once again as it accounted for his only bogey.

Gracious in defeat

McIlroy, though, was gracious in defeat and praised Westwood, who beat him to both titles.

"Lee deserves it; he is just in a different class. He's been through the highs and lows of this game, and he's back and obviously in the Top 5 in the world at the minute.

He's going to go higher than that and he deserves the credit he's going to get because he's played fantastically well for two years and I suppose this is his reward for persevering so long," McIlroy said.

Scores

Final-round scores at the season-ending Dubai World Championship on Sunday (par-72):

265 - Lee Westwood (Britain) 66 69 66 64

271 - Ross McGowan (Britain) 71 66 66 68

273 - Rory McIlroy (Britain) 68 69 69 67

274 - Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 68 69 69 68

Geoff Ogilvy (Australia) 70 69 68 67

275 - Alexander Noren (Sweden) 70 69 67 69

276 - Sergio Garcia (Spain) 71 67 69 69; Adam Scott (Australia) 68 73 67 68

278 - Peter Hanson (Sweden) 72 71 66 69; Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain) 72 68 69 69; Ian Poulter (Britain) 71 74 68 65

279 - Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa) 71 66 71 71

280 - Thomas Aiken (South Africa) 68 70 70 72; Robert Allenby (Australia) 65 72 73 70; Jeev Milkha Singh (India) 70 72 68 70

281 - Bradley Dredge (Britain) 70 71 68 72; Retief Goosen (South Africa) 69 71 69 72; Liang Wenchong (China) 68 70 73 70; Camilo Villegas (Colombia) 66 71 73 71; Anthony Wall (Britain) 71 71 70 69; Oliver Wilson (Britain) 71 72 70 68.