Golf-Westwood beats Kaymer and Fraser to Thailand title

BANGKOK, Dec (Shanghai: 600875.SS - news) 14 (Reuters) - England's Lee Westwood won the Asian Tour's $1 million Thailand Golf Championship by one shot on Sunday after U.S. Open champion Martin Kaymer and third-round leader Marcus Fraser both slipped up at the end.

Westwood (NYSE: WHG - news) reeled off seven birdies in 10 holes then tapped in for par at the last to complete a superb five-under-par round of 67 for an eight-under total of 280.

Fraser, playing on a sponsors invite after missing most of the year because of a wrist problem, could have forced a playoff with a par of his own at the last but the Australian made a bogey to drop back to seven-under.

Westwood's Ryder Cup-winning team mate Kaymer also came unstuck right near the end, making his only bogey of the day on the penultimate hole, to finish tied with Fraser, one behind Westwood.

The victory provided Westwood with his 41st career win and his second Thailand Golf Championship.

Fraser had started the day one ahead of India's Anirban Lahiri (73) and two clear of the former world number ones as he went in search of his first Tour title in over four years.

Five birdies in his opening 11 holes stretched that lead to three as Lahiri fell away but as Westwood and Kaymer closed the gap with birdies after the Australian tossed in a bogey at the 12th.

Westwood made four birdies in a row from the sixth then added three more on the back nine and held his nerve with three closing pars over the demanding final stretch as his rivals slipped up. (Writing by Patrick Johnston in Singapore; Editing by Julian Linden)