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Golf: Westwood captures 25th European Tour title in Abu Dhabi

FILE PHOTO: European Tour - Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

(Reuters) - England's Lee Westwood claimed a two-shot victory at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship on Sunday to lift his 25th European Tour title.

Westwood entered the final round with an overnight lead and never relinquished it, mixing six birdies with a sole bogey to card five-under-par 67 and finish on 19-under overall.

The 46-year-old's 44th professional victory at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club also meant he became the first player to win European Tour titles in four different decades.

"I can't believe I'm that old," said an emotional Westwood, whose latest win came more than 23 years after his first on the Tour.

"It's been a good week. I am just really happy the way I controlled myself. I wasn't paying attention to other people, I was just trying to control my emotions."

Westwood, a former world number one who missed out on the 2018 European Ryder Cup team, is back in contention for the 2020 title defence against the United States at Whistling Straits.

When asked about a potential 11th Ryder Cup appearance later this year, Westwood said: "It's just nice proving I can still do it.

"It was good watching last time but if there is chance to get in the team I will obviously go for it."

Westwood's compatriots Tommy Fleetwood – a two-time Abu Dhabi champion – and Matthew Fitzpatrick finished second at 17-under alongside Frenchman Victor Perez.

On his 29th birthday, Fleetwood carded a bogey-free round of 63, while Perez matched him for the lowest round of his European Tour career.

Fitzpatrick was also bogey-free in his brilliant round of 67, while world number one Brooks Koepka finished tied-34th at eight-under in his first tournament since sustaining a knee injury in October.

(Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)