Lee Westwood has won a third European Tour Golfer of the Year award. The 36-year-old just missed out on The Open at Turnberry, but hit back to regain the European number one spot after a gap of nine years.

Trailing stablemate Rory McIlroy going into the final week, Westwood roared to a brilliant six-stroke victory at the Dubai World Championship for a double jackpot worth #1.65million.

He was also named Golfer of the Year in 1998 and 2000. The first of those came after a season in which he won four times in Europe, twice in Japan and once in America, while two years later he lifted seven titles again and ended Colin Montgomerie’s seven-year reign at the top of the Order of Merit.

He joins Severiano Ballesteros, Ernie Els and Sir Nick Faldo as a three-time winner, while Montgomerie is the only player to have won the award on four occasions.

Westwood, who has climbed all the way back to world number four after crashing outside the top 250 in 2002, said: “It is a fantastic honour and caps a wonderful season for me and all those who have helped me get to this position.

“This probably means more to me in recognising how I have fought my way back to the top.

“To drop completely into obscurity and come back means a lot. It says a lot about my mental strength and about the team around me, all the hard work and dedication they have put in and the belief they have shown in me.

“It certainly helps having Billy Foster on the bag, a man I consider the best caddie in Europe if not the world, while Steve McGregor, whom I have worked with on my fitness for the past three years, and my coach Pete Cowen have all played a huge part on the course.”

Since the start of July, Westwood has played 14 events and had 12 top-10 finishes, including wins in Portugal, Dubai and third places at both The Open and US PGA.

European Tour chief executive George O’Grady said: “Lee has demonstrated a tremendous level of consistency and is also an outstanding ambassador for the European Tour on the global stage.”

A panel comprising members of the Association of Golf Writers and commentators from television and radio selected Westwood in a year which also saw rgentina’s Angel Cabrera win his second major at The Masters and 20-year-old McIlroy establish himself as a rising star of the sport.

Paul Casey and Martin Kaymer led the Race to Dubai money list as well before suffering injuries.