Poulter wins Wales Open today

England’s Ian Poulter claimed his fourth European Tour title at the Wales Open today.

Poulter survived a late stumble for the second day in succession to card a final-round 70 for an 18-under-par total of 270 at Celtic Manor.

Jonathan Lomas, Australian Jarrod Moseley and South African Darren Fichardt shared second place two shots behind on 15 under, Moseley’s bogey on the 18th costing him outright second.

The fans hoping to see local favourite Phil Price secure a home victory left disappointed after the Ryder Cup hero faded to a closing 74 to finish six shots adrift of playing partner Poulter.

Poulter, battling a bout of tonsillitis all week, was never headed from the moment he equalled the course record with a 65 in the first round, a record subsequently beaten by Moseley’s 63 on Saturday.

The winner’s cheque lifted the 27-year-old from 135th on the Order of Merit into the top 15 and maintains his record of winning a tournament every year since 2000, when he was also the tour’s rookie of the year.

Poulter began the day two shots clear of Price and extended his cushion to three with a birdie on the second after a superb chip from just off the green.

Cheered on by the home crowd however, Price hit back with birdies on the third and fifth to close the gap to one, but a bogey on the next gave Poulter breathing space again.

Price also bogeyed the eighth and was replaced as Poulter’s main challenger by Moseley, who had picked up shots at the third, fifth and sixth to lie two shots back.

Moseley then briefly reduced his deficit to one with a birdie on the 621-yard 11th after reaching the green in two, only for Poulter to go one better in the group behind with a 60-foot eagle – the only one at the hole all week.

Poulter had been six shots clear after 13 holes of the third round only to drop four shots in the next three holes, and he fell foul of the same stretch again today.

He bogeyed the 15th after finding a greenside bunker and dropped another shot at the next – where he took six yesterday – after again going through the back of the green.

That cut his lead back to one, but when Moseley found trouble off the tee on the last and could only bogey, Poulter’s birdie was simply the icing on the cake.