Lee Westwood lived up to his billing as World Number One
with a stunning final round to take the Ballantine’s Championship in South
Korea.
The Englishman, who climbed to the top of the Official World Golf Ranking with
victory in Indonesia last week, spoke before this tournament of wanting to
deliver a performance befitting his new status.
He certainly did so today, defying the pressure of expectation to shoot a
superb 67 and make a decisive charge up the leaderboard late on an elongated
day at the Blackstone GC Course.
It secured his 21st European Tour title, but his first since 2009, and lifted
him to €653,508 in The Race to Dubai.
He finished on 12 under, one shot clear of close friend and joint overnight
leader Miguel Angel Jiménez, who ultimately paid the price for carding two
bogeys in the first four holes of the outward nine in the last round.
A birdie on the last for Jiménez - as he had done earlier in the day during the
completion of the rain interrupted third round - would have taken the tournament
into a playoff, but he missed the decisive putt from 15 feet.
“It feels great,” said Westwood. “I must admit it was nerve-racking sitting
there watching people play. I don't obviously wish ill on [Jiménez] but over
those last three holes I wasn't cheering for him to make a birdie.
“I'm delighted. Professional golf is all about winning and it’s great to do it
back-to-back two weeks in a row. It was nice to come back from last week and
get it all together.”
Jimenez was quick to congratulate Westwood and the latter revealed they enjoyed
dinner together last night.
“We had a nice bottle of red and after dinner I said 'I'll see you in the
playoff tomorrow' and it nearly went that way,” Westwood said.
Although Westwood failed to save par after resuming his third round on the
13th, he responded by birdying the 14th and 17th to begin the final round three
shots off the lead.
He barely put a foot wrong thereafter, while Jiménez, by contrast, found sand
on the 14th, 15th and 18th as his attempts to repair the early damage
foundered.
“That's the game,” Jiménez
said. “I made four rounds
under par for 11‑under, and that's not good enough.”
Westwood added: “It's a difficult course because it goes around the hills and
it's difficult to pick the wind up; it swirls a lot.
“It was very tough and to go around without making a bogey, five birdies and 13
pars was a special round of golf.”
South Korean Park Sang-hyun ended his week in sensational fashion, firing an
eagle on the par five 18th to delight the home crowd and climb into third place
on 10 under.
His closing round 69 was matched by American Dustin Johnson, who finished one
shot further adrift, while Hong Soon-sang, another Korean to impress on his own
turf, also went round in 69 to finish tied for fifth with Alex Noren, the
Swede.
Noren began the final round on 10 under, boasting a share of the lead with
Jiménez and Welshman Rhys Davies, but five bogeys, including three on the back
nine, on an erratic day cost him his chance of victory.
Jbe Kruger, from South Africa, and Westwood’s compatriot James Morrison
finished six under par alongside Australian Brett Rumford, who recovered
partially from a poor finish to the third round and start to the last after
resuming today as joint leader with Jiménez.
Three Koreans – Mo Joong-kyung, Kim Kyung-tae and Kim Dae-hyun – were a shot
further back after each broke par today.
Davies, meanwhile, carded a disappointing 77 that was marred by an eight on the
par four, 448 yard 12th. He eventually took a share of 13th place.
Westwood reserved high praise for the tournament and the local support, saying:
“The fans were very good, very supportive and it just shows the keenness of the
Korean public to come out and watch people they have seen on TV. It has been a
great week.”
Report
