Lee Westwood ended a two-year winless drought storming to a resounding seven shot victory in the Maybank Malaysian Open title in Kuala Lumpur.
Despite a four-hour lightning delay mid-round Westwood shot a four under par 68 to win with an 18-under par tally on the Kuala Lumpur Country Club course.
The former World No. 1 was never headed leading from start to finish in the co-sanctioned European and Asian Tour event.
The win is Weswood’s second Malaysian Open success after first capturing the title in 1997.
Lee Westwood wins 2014 Maybank Malaysian Open. (Photo – www.europeantour.com)
It is also his 12th success in the Asia region and a 36th victory worldwide.
Westwood then singled working with a new coach, and reappointing long-time caddy Billy Foster to his bag as pivotal in securing his first win since the 2012 Nordea Masters.
“I started working with a new coach a few weeks ago, Mike Walker, and Billy Foster came back on the bag at the end of last year, so I was going back to what I had done before because it had worked,” said Westwood, for whom this was a 13th win on Asian soil.
“It’s started to work already as the last couple of weeks I’ve played well in the Shell Houston Open and at the Masters last week, and this week I’ve obviously played very well so I’m really pleased.
“It’s a golf course that suits my game; it’s very tight in certain areas. I played well, I putted well, and the short game is good.”
Westwood’s victory will not only improve his World Ranking but also help lift his current 20th place on the European Ryder Cup standings.
“I feel like I’ve got a short game back and I’m starting to roll a few putts in,” he added.
“It makes a helluva difference if you can get up-and-down if you miss a few greens as it keeps the momentum going.”
Westwood, who turns 41 next week, went into the final round leading by one having let slip a four shot second round lead.
However the World No. 36, and highest ranked player in the field, found himself again four clear after only two holes where nearest rival and playing partner Andy Sullivan triple bogeyed the second hole after finding water with his tee shot.
Westwood’s drive to victory was then halted near 2pm local time when the threat of lightning stopped play and with the now US-based Brit four ahead through 11 holes.
He returned to the course after a delay of four hours and 13 minutes to birdie his 13th and be now six clear of his rivals.
Westwood then stamped his enormous class with a final hole birdie and just a week after securing his then best result of the new season with a seventh place finish in the Masters at Augusta.
South African and 2012 winner Louis Oosthuizen (68), Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger (67) and Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts (70) shared a distant second place on 11-under par.
