European Number One Lee Westwood has won the Golf Writers’ Trophy for a third time, joining the legendary Seve Ballesteros as the only three-time recipients.

Catriona Matthew, who won the Ricoh Women’s British Open just 11 weeks after giving birth to her second daughter Sophie, was the clear runner-up in the annual poll which saw Northern Ireland’s emerging star Rory McIlroy finish in third place and Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist fourth.

After narrowly missing out at The Open Championship at Turnberry, the 36 year old Westwood won twice in the closing weeks of the season, including the inaugural Dubai World Championship, to pip McIlroy for The Race to Dubai title. It was the second time Westwood had won the order of merit on The European Tour, although his triumph in 2000 was followed by a slump in form that saw the Worksop golfer fall out of the world’s top 250.

Westwood, who also claimed the Golf Writers’ Trophy in 1998 and 2000, said: “I am delighted to receive the award once again. It is a particular honour to have been chosen for the third time and to become one of only two players, alongside Seve, to have won it three times. That means an awful lot to me, especially when I consider the great players we have had on The European Tour. It is Seve who stands out in my mind for his record and his charisma and to be linked with such a great champion makes the award all the more special.

“I would also like to mention Catriona Matthew. She would have been worthy of the award considering what she achieved this year. To have won the Women’s British Open just weeks after giving birth to her second child was a spectacular achievement. I have no idea how she managed it.”

Westwood, who will receive the trophy at the Association’s annual dinner prior to The Open Championship at St Andrews in July, added: “It will be good to pick up the trophy on the week of the Open. Hopefully that will be a good omen, especially as it is at the home of golf. My priorities next year will once again be to challenge strongly for the Majors. I came close this year and hope to do well in all four in 2010. Hopefully, this time I’ll win one.

“To have come through a bad patch and to have returned to the top of my game is really pleasing. I shall fine tune my game over the winter and return for the Middle East swing in January before heading for the States to prepare my run-in to the Masters.”