First win in three years for Westwood

Despite impressive final rounds from Fredrik Andersson Hed and Philip Archer, Lee Westwood played superbly to take the Valle Romano Open De Andalucia.

A solid week with the putter and some impressive ball striking had resulted in Westwood taking a one shot lead into Sunday over in-form Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano. The final round belonged to Westwood who came flying out of the blocks with three birdies in the first three holes. He followed this with birdies on seven and eight which gave the Englishman a five shot lead.

It was not all plain sailing on the back nine as a number of players made a late surge. Westwood gave the chasing pack hope with three bogies but kept the lead with a number of birdies to match. Andersson and Archer helped provide an exciting finish when they both made eagles at 16. Westwood made birdie at the same hole to give him a two shot lead which he maintained with one hole to play. An iron off the 18th tee left Westwood in a perfect position but he pulled his second in to the left hand green side bunker leaving a difficult shot into a left hand pin position. He could only splash out away from the flag but then holed an up hill 40-foot putt to take the title in great style.

?It seems to get harder as the years go on but it feels great to be back in the winners circle and to putt solidly under pressure,? said Westwood.

Valle Romano Open De Andalucia

Final result

-20 Westwood (Eng)

-18 Archer, Andersson Hed (Swe)

-16 Jonzon (Swe), Oosthuizen (SA)