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Westwood tops Garcia in Sweden

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SOTOGRANDE, SPAIN - OCTOBER 31: Justin Rose of England walks to his ball on the 18th hole during the second round of the Volvo Masters at Valderrama Golf Club on October 31, 2008 in Sotogrande, Spain. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

BRO, Sweden - Lee Westwood completed his warm-up for the U.S. Open by winning the Nordea Masters by five shots on Saturday.

Westwood’s final round of 3-under 69 gave him a total of 19-under 269 at the Bro Hof Slott Golf Club.

His 22nd European Tour victory also was his third win in the Scandinavian Masters, following wins in 1996 and 2000.

Fellow Englishman Ross Fisher finished second with three late birdies for a 71.

Westwood, the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 3, came to Sweden carrying a new set of irons and a new putter in his bag just a week before the U.S. 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 10 feet in the first 10 holes, Westwood, who led by three overnight, watched his lead drop to two shots - first by Sergio Garcia, then by Sweden’s Peter Hanson and by Fisher.

But at the par-5 12th, he put daylight between himself and the rest of the field as he hit a brilliant 6-iron to 10 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 moved up the leaderboard early with a 67.

‘Now I am heading there having played my best golf for months,’ he said of the U.S. Open.

Fisher’s victory hopes were lost when he found water and ran up a double bogey at the 13th. But three closing birdies allowed him take outright second at 14 under.