An emotional Lee Westwood ended almost three years of misery with victory in the BMW International Open in Munich today.
Westwood carded a final-round 66 at Nord-Eichenried for a 19 under total of 269 and three-shot victory over Germany's Alex Cejka to claim the £207,000 first prize.
Westwood's brother-in-law Andrew Coltart made it a family affair with a share of third place on 15 under, alongside English duo Paul Casey and Gary Evans, Swede Peter Hedblom and France's Raphael Jacquelin.
Westwood had not won since the last of his seven victories worldwide in 2000 which saw him end Colin Montgomerie's seven-year reign as European number one.
The 30-year-old from Worksop had slumped from a high of fourth in the world to 215th at the start of the week, and failed to record a single top-10 finish last season.
But he has finally reaped the reward of seven months of hard work with coach David Leadbetter, who told him at the recent USPGA championship that his swing "looked as good as it ever has".
"I'm fairly emotional," admitted Westwood, who was close to tears after holing out on the 18th green. "This is a big moment."
Westwood started the day three shots off the lead and looked to be dropping out of contention when he opened with six pars and then bogeyed the seventh.
A birdie on the ninth kick-started his challenge, however, and three more in a row quickly followed from the 11th, the latter from a matter of inches after a superb approach.
That took him level with Cejka on 16 under as overnight leader Robert Karlsson's hopes nose-dived with a double-bogey six on the 10th, the 1997 champion three-putting from 10 feet.
Cejka's bogey on the 16th then left Westwood out in front and the Ryder Cup player took full advantage, firing his second shot to within two feet of the hole for birdie on 16, and then supplying the coup de grace by chipping in for another birdie on the next.
Paul McGinley was the only Irishman to make the cut and the Dubliner closed with a level par 72 and tied for 17th on 11-under.