Westwood wins 2nd in a row
0 
Briton Lee Westwood clinched the Ballantine's Championship by a stroke yesterday with a scorching final round that secured his second consecutive title in Asia and consolidated his world No. 1 ranking.
The 38-year-old Englishman, who won the Indonesian Masters last week, hit a blemish-free 5-under 67 at the Blackstone Golf Club near Seoul, South Korea, to finish with a 12-under total of 276, one better than Ryder Cup teammate Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain.
Park Sang-hyun of South Korea finished third on 10-under in the European and Asian Tour co-sanctioned event after carding a final-round 69 with an eagle on the last hole.
Westwood, who wrested back the top ranking from Germany's Martin Kaymer with his win in Indonesia, trailed the leaders by three strokes after the weather-hit third round finished yesterday morning.
He holed two birdies on the front nine and finished with three more after the turn but had to endure an anxious wait in the clubhouse as overnight joint leader Jimenez finished his round.
"It feels great. I must admit it was nerve-racking sitting there watching people play. You never wish ill on anyone but I'm delighted to win," Westwood said.
"I've won two weeks in a row before but it's still very special. It's tough to come down off a win and get yourself re-focused, but the more experience you get the easier it is to do it."
The pony-tailed Jimenez needed just one birdie in the closing holes to force a playoff with Westwood but could manage only pars on the back nine.
"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," said Westwood, who dined with the Spaniard on Saturday before winning his 21st European Tour title.
"Billy (Foster, his caddie) said to me on the 6th or 7th that 11-under will have a chance so that was the figure we were aiming for."
In New Orleans, Louisiana, Bubba Watson got up and down from a greenside bunker to birdie the last and hold a share of the lead with fellow American Webb Simpson after Saturday's third round of the New Orleans Classic.
Left-hander Watson, who had been one stroke ahead overnight, splashed out to five feet at the par-5 18th and coolly sank the putt for a 2-under 70 at the TPC Louisiana.
That gave the long-hitting American a 12-under total of 204, putting him level with Simpson who had reeled off five consecutive birdies from the third on the way to a flawless 67.
American John Rollins carded a 69 to finish alone in third at 11 under, a stroke better than six players, including compatriot Steve Stricker (68), Australian Matt Jones (69) and South Korea's KJ Choi (67).
Go to Forum >>0 Comments