DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Lee Westwood of England is Europe’s No. 1 golfer after winning the Dubai World Championship by six strokes Sunday.
Westwood shot a course-record 8-under 64 in the final round at the Earth Course to total 23-under 265 and finish well clear of Ross McGowan of England (68). Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland (67) finished third on 273.
With the 31st victory of his career, Westwood won $1.25 million to overtake McIlroy on the season-long money list and win the European Tour’s first Race to Dubai since changing from the European Order of Merit.
The 36-year-old Westwood’s $1.5 million bonus for finishing top of the money list took his total earnings to $6,376,984. McIlroy was next with $5,432,358.
Westwood, who won the European Order of Merit in 2000, was reduced to tears soon after finishing his round.
“This is definitely the biggest moment of my career today,” he said. “Rory is only 20 – I can’t even remember what it was like to be 20 – and he will have many more chances ahead of him to win the money list.
“But this is my moment.”
Westwood led by two shots entering the final round and opened it with five birdies in his first seven holes. He later revealed his caddy Billy Foster had given him some advice at the beginning of the week in Dubai.
“Billy told me to go out and bully other people. To make them take notice of me, rather than the other way round,” Westwood said. (AP)