Westwood claims his first title in nearly four years

Golf Digest/ EUROPEAN TOUR: Lee Westwood survived a faltering finish to take the Andalucia Open title yesterday, his 17th European Tour victory but his first in nearly four years.

A closing five-under-par 67 for a 20-under 268 total left the 34-year-old Englishman two strokes better than fellow-Briton Phillip Archer (65) and Sweden's Fredrik Andersson-Hed (66).

Westwood appeared to be running away with the event when he cruised five shots ahead with eight holes to go, but then the fragility of his putting resurfaced.

He came out of the blocks with three successive birdies and led by four strokes at the turn but, as Archer and Andersson-Hed came at him, three back-nine bogeys ensured a nervy finish.

The expected showdown between Westwood and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano failed to materialise as the Spaniard's 72 left him six strokes adrift.

David Higgins was best of the Irish, 10 strokes behind Westwood after a closing 71 that was worth €12,000.

CHALLENGE TOUR: Michael Hoey's bid for a second successive Challenge Tour victory at the Open de Toulouse ended in disappointment yesterday after a final round of level par 72 saw him finish the week on nine-under-par 279, eight strokes behind Joost Luiten of the Netherlands.

The Belfast 28-year-old began the week with a blistering, eight-under 64 at the Golf de Toulouse-Seilh, but he could not continue his form and had to settle for a share of seventh place.

There were similar disappointing finishes from Athlone's Colm Moriarty and Dublin's Stephen Browne.

Moriarty, a winner on the Europro Tour last week, carded a 76 to fall back to four under par and a share of 27th place, while Browne's 75 left him on two under and in 39th position.

Michael McGeady, who made the cut without ever threatening the lead, matched Browne's last day 75 to finish on one over.

EUROPEAN SENIORS: England's Nick Job defeated compatriot Martin Poxon at the first hole of a play-off in Turkey to capture The Gloria Classic.

Job had produced a spectacular birdie-eagle finish to force extra holes at Gloria Golf Resort, with the pair locked on 10-under-par 206, but similar fireworks were not required in the play-off as Poxon conceded defeat after twice finding water on the pair's return to the par five 18th.

The players shook hands in the middle of the fairway and Job, whose ball was just off the green in two, enjoyed a long celebratory walk to collect a winner's cheque for €48,750 and his fourth European Seniors Tour title.

Best of the Irish was Eamonn Darcy, who shot a final round 72 to finish on 215 for €2,300.

EUROPEAN WOMEN: England's Rebecca Hudson threw away victory in the Ladies Spanish Open at Castellon when she hit her tee-shot on the 16th into the water.

Hudson was leading Australia's Nikki Garrett by one when she made her blunder.

Garrett went on to secure her second Tour title in as many weeks with a final round two-under-par 70.

The 23-year-old, who won her first title at last week's Tenerife Ladies Open, beat Hudson by one stroke with a total of 13-under-par 275 at Club de Campo Mediterraneo.