Lee Westwood claims two-shot win at Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship
Written by News on 19/01/2020
Lee Westwood became only the third player to win European Tour events in four different decades with a two-stroke victory at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
The 46-year-old birdied the last to close out a five-under 67 at Abu Dhabi Golf Club and register a first win since the 2018 Nedbank Golf Challenge.
Westwood mixed six birdies with a sole bogey on the final day to end the week on 19 under and hold off the challenge of Tommy Fleetwood, Matt Fitzpatrick and Victor Perez, who all finished in a share of second.
Beginning the day with a one-shot lead, Westwood birdied the par-five second and added another from long range at the next before getting up and down from the sand to save par at the fourth.
Westwood holed from six feet at the fifth and birdied the eighth to reach the turn in 32, with the veteran then draining a 15-footer from the fringe at the 12th to temporarily go three ahead.
Fleetwood raced up the leaderboard by following six birdies on the front nine with three consecutive gains from the 15th to get within two of Westwood, while Perez closed his bogey-free 63 with an eagle-three at the par-five 18th to also get to 17 under.
The lead became one when Westwood three-putted from off the 16th green, as Fitzpatrick – playing in the group ahead – ended a run of pars with a two-putt birdie at the last to closing a blemish-free 67 and join the share of second.
Needing only a par at the last for victory, Westwood found the heart of the par-five green in two before sealing his second Rolex Series title and doubling his winning margin with a two-putt birdie.
Louis Oosthuizen finished four strokes off the pace in fifth after five birdies in a seven-hole stretch around the turn took him to 15 under, with Shaun Norris and Ross Fisher a further two shots back.
Bernd Wiesberger started the day one off the lead but saw his hopes fade with two bogeys in his first three holes, eventually signing for a 72, while Italy’s Francesco Laporta – also in the final group – dropped to tied-17th with a two-over 74.
(c) Sky Sports 2020: Lee Westwood claims two-shot win at Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship
