Indonesian Masters: Lee Westwood hangs on after marathon last day

LEE Westwood beat fatigue for his first victory of the year and 38th career title with a successful defence of the Indonesian Masters.

The world No 3 completed a marathon 32 holes as he returned yesterday morning to finish the third round before closing with a final round two-over-par 74 for a winning total of 16-under-par 272 at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club.

The Englishman beat former Asian Tour No 1 Thaworn Wiratchant of Thailand, who finished with a 67, by two shots while India’s rising star Gaganjeet Bhullar and Shiv Kapur finished in a tie for third.

Westwood held an eight-shot lead going into the final round but tiredness began to kick in on his homeward nine as he shot one birdie and three bogeys.

He said: “It is never easy playing in these conditions and I had to play 32 holes. It was draining out there and I was really feeling it on the back nine.

“When you are in contention and under pressure, it seems to zap your energy faster. It was a case of staying patient and calm and playing the holes correctly. It was exhausting.”

Westwood, who turns 39 tomorrow, hopes the win will galvanise his season.

He said: “Hopefully this will kick-start my year,” he added. “I’ve played well without any wins so hopefully I can go on and win other tournaments.”

Banchory’s James Byrne finished in a tie for 43rd after closing rounds of 74 and 75.

Afterwards, the Walker Cup player admitted he was looking forward to heading home for a few weeks after a tough start to his rookie season.

“I played poorly today but enjoyed the week,” said Byrne on his Twitter account. “I’ve been on the road for 16 weeks now, ready to get home. No fried rice for me for a while!”