Narrow defeat for Westwood in Turkey
Article posted: 12 October 2012
It's been a great week - other than the financial rewards, it's been good to get back out on the golf course and edge my way back to scoring
Justin Rose pocketed the $1.5million jackpot after defeating Lee Westwood by one shot to win the inaugural Turkish Airlines World Golf Final.
Befitting of the showpiece occasion, the Ryder Cup team-mates produced immaculate sub-par rounds at Antalya Golf Club, Belek.
But it was Rose, the world number five, who triumphed 66-67 over the player one place above him in the rankings.
Westwood, who at 22 under par was a shot better than Rose in aggregate terms over the week, received a runners-up cheque for $1million.
"We both played really well," said Westwood. "The slight difference was on the greens, Justin holing a couple of 20-footers and the longest putt I made was about eight or nine feet on 16 so I left a lot of chances out there, but that's the way it goes sometimes.
"It's been a great week. Other than the financial rewards, it's been good to get back out on the golf course after the Ryder Cup and edge my way back to scoring. I know it's medal match play and you're focusing on what the other guy's doing, but you've still got a card in your hand and you're trying to put together a score."
It was a fascinating match. Rose birdied the first to get off to the perfect start, but Westwood levelled at the seventh after both players had birdied the par-five third.
Rose nudged himself back in front at the eighth to lead at the turn, before rolling in a seven-foot birdie at ten to go two up. Westwood, to his credit, prevented a two-shot swing with a gutsy putt for par.
The pair made pars at the next five holes before Westwood halved the deficit with a birdie at the 16th, only for Rose to regain his two-shot cushion at the very next hole.
Westwood made his fellow Englishman work for the victory, though, courtesy of a birdie at the 18th. Rose stayed calm and made the par to clinch his win.
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