Westwood claims three shot win

Lee Westwood shows off his European Grand Prix Trophy. Allsport.

Lee Westwood of England, depressed about his game six weeks ago, won the European Grand Prix by three strokes today, withstanding a charge by Fredrik Jacobson of Sweden.

Westwood closed with a 2-under-par 70 for a total of 12-under 276.

``When you're in front it's easy to lose your composure in that position, and the key is not to panic and not to deviate from your game plan,'' he said.

Jacobson was four shots behind with eight holes to play. He birdied three of the next five to get within one of the lead before driving into a bunker on the 16th.

``That was a bad shot out of the sand,'' Jacobson said.

The Swede had to take bogey, and Westwood made a birdie to restore the three-shot lead he held after three rounds.

``It's just a case of waiting and letting things happen,'' Westwood said.

It was not all that long ago that Westwood was bemoaning his golf game at the Benson and Hedges International. But a week later he beat Tiger Woods at the Deutsche Bank Open in Germany.

Since then he has tied for second, tied for fourth and tied for fifth - at last week's U.S. Open.

Sunday's victory moved him into second place on the European Order of Merit behind Clarke.

Westwood finished as far ahead of Jacobson as he had been at the end of the second and third rounds. He said his 68 in strong wind and biting cold Friday had been the key.

``That gave me a head start and I was delighted with that day's work,'' he said.

It was the second time Westwood had pipped Jacobson to victory, having previously beaten him in a play-off for the Belgacom Open in 1998.

Emanuele Canonica of Italy (68) and Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland (69) shared third at 281.

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