Westwood finishes with a flourish

Lee Westwood produced one of the greatest finishes to a round in European Tour history at the Irish Open today and now has his sights firmly set on a 30th professional victory.

On an Adare Manor course described by Ryder Cup team-mate Paul McGinley as “a monster” on Thursday, Westwood followed birdies at the 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th with a closing eagle three.

Six under for the last five holes gave the former European number one a 64, only one outside Padraig Harrington’s course record, and catapulted him into the lead.

Westwood, 39th at the start of the day and only 80th after his opening 75, stood seven under and was one ahead of fellow Englishman Richard Finch and 48-year-old South African David Frost.

Trying to become the oldest winner ever on the tour Frost was in with a 66, but Finch still had four to play.

As for overnight leader Michael Lorenzo-Vera, he was only on the sixth, but had already registered three bogeys and was back to three under.

In terms of scoring the only finish that can better Westwood’s on the circuit came from Australian Peter O’Malley on the final day of the 1992 Scottish Open at Gleneagles.

O’Malley went eagle-birdie-birdie-birdie-eagle to pip Colin Montgomerie to the title.

Westwood is only playing in Ireland because he fell ill three weeks ago and pulled out of the Wachovia Championship in America.

“I just went out to enjoy it today – and that was very enjoyable,” he said. “It was great.

“A 64 round here you have got to class as a pretty good score. I pulled the four iron at the last, but it was a good putt.”

Having already rolled in a 15-foot eagle putt on the seventh in an outward 33, Westwood was cursing when he took six at the long 12th after reaching a greenside bunker in two.

“You hate that and frustrating would be a nice word to use,” he added.

But two holes later he converted a 10-foot chance, then holed putts from 20 and four feet before chipping in at the 17th and made the 12-footer on the 548-yard last.

Defending champion Padraig Harrington was in the hunt at four under after 15, with 19-year-old Ulsterman Rory McIlroy only one further back.

But Darren Clarke had slipped back to two under, McGinley to one under and Montgomerie remained level par.

Westwood was relegated to second place when his stablemate Finch, winner of his first Tour title in New Zealand in December, birdied the 15th and 18th for a 65 and eight-under total.

Frost was lying third with Chile’s Felipe Aguilar and Swede Robert Karlsson, who still had six to play, but Harrington finished with a 70 for three under, Clarke remained two under after 11 and Montgomerie bogeyed the last for a 73 and one over.

Finch, the former English amateur champion from Hull, said: “It was one of those days when everything seemed to fall good for me. I was just trying to get into position for tomorrow two or three behind.

“New Zealand was nerve-wracking, but you’ve got to enjoy it – that’s the fun bit.”