SHANGHAI: Francesco Molinari clinched the HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai Sunday after a thrilling final-round shootout with world No. 1 Lee Westwood. Englishman Westwood, who tightened his grip on top spot in the world rankings with the second-place finish, pushed Molinari all the way but missed an eagle putt on the last that would have forced a playoff. Italian Molinari, who turns 28 Monday, held his nerve on the final hole to card a 67 and a combined 19-under-par total to win by a stroke from Westwood. “It was a great day of golf for everyone and for the two of us, me and Lee,” said Molinari, who partnered his brother Edoardo to win the World Cup at Mission Hills in 2009. “I'm obviously amazed at the way I played, it's was not easy to have the No. 1 player in the world trailing you by one shot. I just played really well, and behaved really well on the golf course. So just feels fantastic now.” Edoardo watched and applauded as his triumphant younger brother claimed victory on the 18th hole. “I think the turning point was definitely on the 16th hole and the second shot I hit there. It put Lee under pressure and his chip was already difficult,” added Molinari junior. He said he would celebrate his win and birthday “on the plane” as he heads to his next tournament in Singapore. Westwood had been hoping to cement his new top ranking with a tournament win in China but fell just short at 18-under after matching Molinari with a 67. Starting the final round a shot behind, Westwood needed to make up two on Molinari on the final hole and while the Italian opted to lay-up, the Englishman attacked the green on the par five. Westwood and Molinari, playing with England's Luke Donald in the final group, put on a show for the packed galleries, matching one another shot-for-shot as the sun set on the tough Sheshan course after a late start due to a thick morning fog-smog mix. The final leaderboard had a heavy British presence, with Donald and Scotland's Richie Ramsay finishing joint third on nine under, and Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy fifth a shot further back. Misfiring Tiger Woods finished tied for sixth after a brief final round rally, scoring a 68 with seven birdies and three bogeys. The inconsistency that continues to plague the troubled former No. 1 was summed up with a simple five-foot putt that failed to drop on the 18th. Woods, who lost the number one ranking last week to Westwood after a 281-week reign, finished 11 shots behind the Englishman. “Overall I felt like I've been hitting it well and it's just a matter of being patient,” said Woods. A victory in Shanghai for Woods, third-ranked Martin Kaymer or number four Phil Mickelson would have seen them leapfrog Westwood into top spot in the rankings, but there was no significant challenge from any of the chasing trio.
