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Lee Westwood claims third Indonesian Masters title after play-off victory
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Lee Westwood made it an Indonesian Masters hat-trick by winning the Asian Tour title on Sunday, but only after surviving a play-off with Chapchai Nirat of Thailand after blowing a five-shot lead.
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The former world No1, winner of the event on his two previous appearances in 2011 and 2012, could only muster a final round of one-over-par 73 for a seven-under total of 281, letting slip a healthy overnight advantage at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club.
Westwood had the opportunity to seal victory on the par-five 18th only to fail with a birdie effort, meaning a play-off with Chapchai, who produced a sparkling 66 to finish after snapping an iron against a tree early in Saturday’s third round.
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The Englishman made no mistake on the 18th in the play-off, however, notching a birdie on the first extra hole to edge out the four-times Asian Tour winner Chapchai.
“I was lucky that I already had a read on [my putt on] 18 for the play-off,” Westwood said. “It was a tough day out there … but managed to battle back.”
Westwood continued: “Winning never gets any easier and it was a tough day out there. I didn’t have the best of starts but battled back and made a couple of birdies around the turn to get more comfortable before three terrible putts on the last three greens.
“I’ve been very fortunate. As soon as I turned up five years ago, I liked the course and thought it might suit my game. It’s nice to have come here three times and won three times. It’s a good hat-trick.
“I’ve always wanted to be a golfer that plays all over the world and I started winning on different continents very early in my career. It’s something I’m immensely proud of and [winning in] 19 different countries is incredible.”
Westwood had started the final round seven shots clear of Chapchai after covering the back nine of his third round in just 29 shots but gave encouragement to the chasing pack with two bogey fours on his opening nine.
The British golfer seemed to find his game again with three birdies in four holes, including a long, snaking downhill putt on the par-four 11th to start his back nine, but back-to-back bogeys on 16 and 17 dropped him level with Chapchai.
The Australian Kalem Richardson finished third after a strong 66 left him at six-under, with Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn (70) a further shot back in fourth.
