• Nordea Masters, Round Four

Westwood sails to Stockholm title

ESPN staff
June 9, 2012
Lee Westwood was the highest-ranked player in the field in Stockholm © Getty Images
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Lee Westwood will head to next week's US Open with his confidence sky high, having walked away with the Nordea Masters title in some style on Saturday.

World No. 3 Westwood finished the Stockholm tournament at 19 under, five strokes ahead of Ross Fisher in second and six in front of Sergio Garcia, Mikko Ilonen and Peter Hanson in third.

Westwood never looked like frittering away his advantage on the final day, showing a ruthless streak akin to the way Rory McIlroy seized control of last year's US Open en route to his first major.

Westwood, now a 22-time winner on the European Tour, never let himself take too many risks as he managed the course shrewdly, carding a steady three-under 69 to keep the challengers at arm's length.

He did card a bogey at the par-four sixth, three-putting on his way to dropping a stroke, but apart from that it was smooth sailing, with two birdies and an eagle at the par-five 12th.

Meanwhile, Garcia further boosted his Ryder Cup chances with a fine closing 67, a swashbuckling 18 holes (featuring six birdies) that contrasted with Westwood's more sedate progress.

Garcia, who did not play at the Ryder Cup during a 2010 season that saw him struggle with his game, has now tightened his grip on a place in Jose Maria Olazabal's European team to face the United States later this year. He is currently in possession of one of the coveted spots.

The Spaniard has never placed better than third at the US Open, but the current quality of his ball-striking should make him a tough man to beat at Olympic Club.

On a day where there were low scores to be grasped, Spanish duo Rafael Cabrera-Bello and Pablo Larrazabal (both two under) signed for 77s to sink down the field.

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