Lee Westwood increased his lead the moment he started his closing round in the Dubai World Championship presented by: DP World today as The Race to Dubai began its finale at the Earth course.
Winning the title would also make Westwood this season's European Tour Number One and saving par from eight feet on the 454 yard first was enough as playing partner and second place Ross McGowan three-putted from off the green.
In terms of The Race to Dubai it was Rory McIlroy who was the danger to Westwood, but the 20 year old from Northern Ireland, who bogeyed the last three holes of his third round to fall from joint leader into a tie for third five strokes back, could only par the first four holes.
He was six adrift at that point as Westwood got down in two at the long second for a birdie that McGowan matched.
They were 16 under par and 13 under respectively, while McIlroy had slipped into a tie for fifth on ten under under one behind Padraig Harrington and Geoff Ogilvy.
Sergio Garcia also carded a birdie four at the second to move within a shot of Harrington and in a tie for fifth alongside McIlroy and Alexander Noren.
Of the early starters, Ian Poulter was the biggest mover as he climbed 20 places up into a tie for eighth thanks to a a six under par tally after 14 holes, a score that moved him on to eight under overall.
Westwood continued the superb display of putting that has been a feature of his play at the Earth course all week, holing a monster 35 footer on the third green for a second consecutive birdie.
A further birdie that moved him on to 18 under par followed at the 407 yard fifth and there was no stopping the Englishman as he rolled in yet another birdie from 15 feet at the par three sixth to move to four under for the round and 19 under par overall.
He made it three in a row at the par five seventh after cracking an approach to 20 feet and two putting to move to to 20 under, a massive seven strokes clear of McGowan and Ogilvy. Garcia, who ran up a double bogey on the ninth after fluffing a chip, slipped back to 11 under.
McIlroy made his move with three birdies around the turn to move to 13 under par through 11 holes, however the 20 year old was still seven shy of Westwood given the Englishman completed the front nine in 31 shots.
McIlroy was also trailing second-placed duo Ogilvy and McGowan by one shot.
