Westwood wins second week running

Golf:Lee Westwood clinched the Ballantine's Championship by one stroke with a scorching final round that secured his second consecutive title in Asia and consolidated his world number one ranking.

The 38-year old Englishman, who won the Indonesian Masters last week, hit a blemish-free five-under 67 at the Blackstone Golf Club near Seoul to finish with a 12-under total of 276, one better than Ryder Cup team-mate Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain, who shot 71.

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 with his win in Indonesia, trailed the leaders by three strokes after the weather-hit third round finished this 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, who picked up the €367,500 winner's cheque.

"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 play-off 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 play-off tomorrow' and it nearly went that way," said Westwood, who dined with the Spaniard yesterday before winning his 21st European Tour title.

"Billy (Foster, his caddie) said to me on the sixth or seventh that 11-under will have a chance so that was the figure we were aiming for.

"It's tricky out there. It's a difficult course because it goes around the hills and it's difficult to pick the wind up, it swirls a lot."

Shane Lowry (71), Gareth Maybin (69) and Damien McGrane (71) all finished on five under and tied 13th (€29,046 each). Paul McGinley's 74 left him five-over (€6,284), while Michael Hoey (78) was 13-over (€3,662).