Lee Westwood believes his victory in the Valle Romano Open de Andalucia is a step in the right direction on his path back to the world's top 10.

Westwood only travelled to the Costa del Sol having failed to qualify for the Players Championship in Sawgrass, and arrived 63rd in the world, without a win in almost four years and in desperate form with the putter.

But the 34-year-old left with his 17th European Tour title, a cheque for £113,612 and new confidence in an old putter to begin what he hopes will be a climb back among the world's elite.

Sunday's victory should lift the former European number one back into the world's top 50 today and he added: "It's been a big goal to get back into the top 50, I want to play in the US Open and that's going to be the way in.

"But I want to be higher than the 40s. I want to be back where I was, in the top 10, and this is a step in the right direction."

Westwood survived a faltering finish to card a final round 67 at Aloha Golf Club for a 20 under par total of 268, two shots ahead of compatriot Phillip Archer (65) and Sweden's Fredrik Andersson (66).

The world number 63 looked set for an easy stroll to victory after racing to the turn in 31 and leading by five with just eight holes to play.

But three dropped shots in the next five holes, coupled with eagles on the 16th from Archer and Andersson, saw the Ryder Cup star's lead cut to just one shot.

The 34-year-old responded with a birdie on the 16th to edge two clear and eventually holed from 40ft for par on the 18th to ensure he took the winner's cheque for £113,612.

"It's great to win again, although it looked like it might be a lot easier than I made it in the end," admitted Westwood, who was seven off the pace after a first round 72 before switching putters and playing the last 54 holes in 20 under.

"Winning was very important, it wouldn't have felt good coming off with second or third after getting in such a good position.

"I never really thought about going so long without a win. I've still been playing pretty well and I knew that winning is fickle, sometimes you just don't get across the line first.

"I won so often in the late 90s that if I had a spell where I didn't win, people were always going to highlight it and get on my case about it. But I was never going to get on my own case."

Spain's Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, one behind Westwood overnight and seeking back-to-back victories after winning the Italian Open in Milan on Sunday, faded to a closing 72 and share of seventh place in the tournament he was co-promoting with Miguel Angel Jimenez.

Collated final-round scores (Gbr & Irl unless stated, Par 72):

(x) denotes amateurs

268 Lee Westwood 72 64 65 67 (£113,612)

270 Phillip Archer 69 70 66 65, Fredrik Andersson (Swe) 69 71 64 66 (£59,214 each)

272 Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 67 67 69 69, Michael Jonzon (Swe) 69 68 66 69 (£31,494 each)

273 Thomas Bjorn (Den) 71 69 66 67 (£23,859)

274 Chris Gane 67 71 68 68, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa) 67 68 67 72

276 David Lynn 70 71 68 67, Gareth Davies 69 71 68 68, Robert Rock 70 73 65 68, Matthew Zions (Aus) 65 70 70 71

277 Garry Houston 71 67 72 67, Jamie Donaldson 70 69 70 68, Soren Hansen (Den) 70 68 70 69, Sam Walker 69 69 70 69, Francois Delamontagne (Fra) 69 66 72 70

278 Richard McEvoy 69 68 73 68, Paul Broadhurst 70 70 70 68, Alejandro Canizares (Spa) 66 73 70 69, David Higgins 69 68 70 71, Joakim Haeggman (Swe) 67 71 69 71

279 Johan Axgren (Swe) 74 68 69 68

280 Shaun Webster 74 67 70 69, Oliver Fisher 70 69 71 70, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 72 69 68 71, Carl Suneson (Spa) 69 68 71 72, David Griffiths 68 72 68 72, Steve Jones (USA) 69 67 71 73, Alvaro Salto (Spa) 70 69 68 73

281 Sven Struver (Ger) 71 71 71 68, Gary Lockerbie 67 72 70 72, Santiago Luna (Spa) 72 69 68 72

282 Birgir Hafthorsson (Ice) 73 68 70 71, Jesus Maria Arruti (Spa) 73 71 68 70, Scott Strange (Aus) 72 71 69 70, Notah Begay (USA) 71 70 71 70, Thomas Levet (Fra) 74 66 70 72, Andrew Butterfield 70 73 67 72

283 Rafael Echenique (Arg) 73 71 68 71, Philip Golding 74 69 69 71, Ian Garbutt 72 70 71 70, Sam Little 71 69 74 69

284 James Hepworth 72 68 71 73, Paul McGinley 71 72 68 73, Terry Pilkadaris (Aus) 71 71 71 71, Sion Bebb 70 74 70 70, James Heath 75 67 72 70, Carlos Aguilar (Spa) 76 67 72 69, Simon Dyson 70 74 77 73

285 Wade Ormsby (Aus) 73 70 69 73, Per-Ulrik Johansson (Swe) 72 71 69 73, Marcus Higley 70 71 69 75, Peter Fowler (Aus) 73 71 70 71

286 Juan Parron (Spa) 72 71 70 73, YE Yang (Kor) 74 69 70 73, Carlos Rodiles (Spa) 72 69 72 73, Anthony Wall 72 72 71 71

287 Sebastian Fernandez (Arg) 70 70 72 75, Pedro Linhart (Spa) 72 70 71 74, Damien McGrane 72 70 73 72, Adrien Mork (Fra) 71 73 72 71, Peter Gustafsson (Swe) 73 70 74 70

288 Eduardo de la Riva (Spa) 68 73 70 77, Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa) 69 73 72 74, Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel) 68 73 74 73

289 Martin Maritz (Rsa) 72 72 70 75, Carlos Balmaseda (Spa) 71 71 73 74, Alvaro Velasco (Spa) 72 72 73 72, Daniel Quiros (Spa) 72 72 74 71, Diego Borrego (Spa) 73 71 74 71

290 Gary Emerson 71 72 73 74, Jorge Benedetti (Col) 71 73 74 72

291 Matthew Millar (Aus) 68 73 72 78