Westwood in top form for US Open bid

His 22nd European Tour victory was also his third win in the tournament, following victories 1996 and 2000.

Fellow Englishman Ross Fisher bounced back from being heavily penalised for slow play at last weekend’s Wales Open by finishing second with three late birdies in his 71.

Westwood, the highest ranked player in the field at No.3, came to Sweden carrying a new set or irons and a new putter in his bag just a week before the US Open. The irons and putter will travel on with him to the Olympic Club in San Francisco.

“They are staying in the bag,” Westwood said. “I am going to take a lot of positives to San Francisco. I have played really well here this week. You don’t win by five shots not playing well. I missed a few short putts on the front nine, but I had a lot of chances and when there was pressure on me I made a great eagle at the 12th hole.”

After missing five putts of under ten feet in the first ten holes, Westwood, who led by three overnight, found his lead cut to two shots first by Sergio Garcia, then by Sweden’s Peter Hanson and also by Fisher. But, at the par-five 12th, he put daylight between himself and the rest of the field as he hit a brilliant six iron to ten feet and holed the putt for eagle.

Hanson, looking to add a third straight home victory at the event following Alexander Noren’s success last year and Richard Johnson’s win in 2010, launched an early challenge. On the first green the Swede holed a 50-foot eagle putt but his chances of victory were dashed when he drove into water at the 15th and made double bogey.

Garcia shot a 5-under 67 after which he, too, talked up his US Open chances. He said: “Now I am heading there having played my best golf for months.”