South Africa's Rory Sabbatini went to the top of the US Tour money list in the best possible fashion.

The 29-year-old from Durban, twice a runner-up in his five previous starts this season, won the Nissan Open in Los Angeles by one stroke from defending champion Adam Scott.

After a bogey-free 68 Britain's Lee Westwood was fifth, his best finish in the United States for six years.

Sabbatini saw his four-shot overnight lead cancelled out first by crowd favourite Fred Couples and then by American Craig Barlow and Australian Scott, who came through the field with a brilliant seven-under-par 64 in the windy conditions.

But, after Couples and Barlow found trouble at the short 16th, Sabbatini fired his tee shot to five-feet, made the putt and kept the advantage over the two remaining holes.

Although he had three bogeys on his card a one-over 72 gave him his third title on the circuit with a 13-under-par aggregate of 271.

Last year Sabbatini's main claim to fame was the controversy he sparked at the Booz Allen Classic, storming ahead of playing partner Ben Crane in a protest about the American's slow play.

He apologised afterwards, but has said since that the "vast majority" of comments from fellow players about the incident were supportive.

His clubs are certainly doing the talking at the moment, though.

Couples, who described some of the crowd cheering him on as "Tiger's strays" following the withdrawal at halfway of flu-suffering Tiger Woods, lost his chance when he failed to get up and down from sand at the 16th and then failed to birdie the long 17th downwind.

Westwood, who had nothing better than a 17th-place finish in 15 starts in America last year, started the final day eight adrift of Sabbatini and, despite birdies at the first two holes, he remained too far back to have a chance of the title.

His performance fills him with confidence heading into next week's Accenture World Match Play Championship in San Diego.

Westwood, who finished only 142nd on the 2005 American money list, closed with a 22-foot birdie putt and said: "I hit it pretty good all week and played my best in the toughest weather.

"When I missed greens today I got up and down and that's one of the most pleasing parts. It's nice to play so solidly in the last round over here - last year I think my average score was about 77.

"It's a culmination of the hard work I've been doing in the gym and on the range."

He was 17th on the European Ryder Cup world points list going into the event, but his performance in his first US Tour appearance of the season improves his hopes of earning one of the five places that comes off that table.

As for the American side Couples, 21st in their standings, made a significant move forward, but could not land what would have been only his second victory since 1988.

Meanwhile, Tom Lehman was again showing how keen he is to earn a place at the K Club near Dublin in September - for a match where he is due to captain the United States, of course.

Not since Arnold Palmer in 1963 has anyone attempted to be a playing-captain in the Ryder Cup.

But Lehman has still to announce what he will do if he qualifies and his current form suggests he might.

Two weeks away from his 47th birthday the former Open champion began the final round with a 20-foot eagle putt and moved into a tie for fourth place before slipping back to 10th.

"I've been saying all along we want to field the 12 best players that the US has to offer, whoever they are," he said only last Tuesday.

"I would have to prove to myself that I'm playing really well and I would probably want to get the opinion of the guys on the team.

"That's so far down the road it's pure conjecture. I'm not even going to begin to think about it at this point. But I want our players to know how much it means to be a part of that, trying really hard to be on this team myself.

"There is a bit of setting the bar. I want to be on this team and we want to go over and win."

Barlow finished third and Couples fourth after a three-putt bogey on the last. Luke Donald came joint 12th, while Greg Owen and Justin Rose shared 39th and Paul McGinley was in a tie for 51st.

Collated final round scores and totals in the USPGA Tour Nissan Open, Riviera Country Club, Los Angeles, United States

(USA unless stated, par 71):

271 Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 67 65 67 72

272 Adam Scott (Aus) 68 71 69 64

273 Craig Barlow 67 69 67 70

274 Fred Couples 66 72 65 71

275 Lee Westwood (Gbr) 71 66 70 68, John Rollins 70 71 64 70

276 Carl Pettersson (Swe) 70 70 68 68, Tom Lehman 67 70 70 69, Dean Wilson 64 73 69 70, Trevor Immelman (Rsa) 67 70 67 72

277 Bo Van Pelt 70 71 67 69

278 Tom Pernice 69 73 68 68, Luke Donald (Gbr) 69 70 71 68, Billy Mayfair 66 73 70 69, Robert Damron 72 70 67 69, Bob Estes 66 71 69 72, Jim Furyk 69 72 65 72, Tim Clark (Rsa) 70 67 67 74

279 Harrison Frazar 67 74 71 67, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 72 71 66 70, Paul Stankowski 70 68 71 70, Nick Watney 68 70 69 72

280 Bart Bryant 71 71 69 69, Jeff Brehaut 68 73 70 69, JJ Henry 71 69 72 68, Ernie Els (Rsa) 70 72 71 67, Brian Gay 71 67 71 71, Corey Pavin 67 73 68 72, Brad Faxon 69 71 68 72

281 Brandt Jobe 68 71 71 71, Kevin Sutherland 68 70 71 72, Shaun Micheel 70 71 73 67, KJ Choi (Kor) 69 69 70 73, Steve Flesch 71 71 67 72, Zach Johnson 71 71 66 73

282 Tim Petrovic 70 72 72 68, Chad Campbell 67 72 69 74, Mark Brooks 72 67 67 76

283 Yasuharu Imano (Jpn) 70 70 71 72, Olin Browne 68 73 69 73, Greg Owen (Gbr) 69 71 70 73, Mike Weir (Can) 71 72 70 70, Justin Rose (Gbr) 64 74 70 75, Jimmy Walker 71 71 72 69

284 David Duval 68 72 71 73, Rod Pampling (Aus) 67 74 70 73, Stewart Cink 71 71 70 72, Angel Cabrera (Arg) 72 71 70 71, Charles Warren 70 73 70 71, Thomas Levet (Fra) 68 68 77 71

285 Paul McGinley (Irl) 70 70 71 74, Charles Howell 68 73 71 73, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 68 73 71 73, JB Holmes 71 72 69 73, Scott Verplank 69 73 73 70, Aaron Baddeley (Aus) 72 71 72 70, Bill Haas 71 71 74 69

286 Jason Schultz 67 70 76 73, Tag Ridings 69 72 73 72, Ryan Palmer 71 72 71 72

287 Sean O'Hair 70 69 71 77, Bob Tway 72 69 72 74, Peter Lonard (Aus) 68 74 72 73, JL Lewis 70 72 72 73, Briny Baird 74 68 73 72, Ted Purdy 72 69 75 71, Len Mattiace 71 71 74 71

288 Rich Beem 75 68 69 76, Doug Barron 69 74 69 76, Mark Hensby (Aus) 74 67 69 78, Steve Elkington (Aus) 72 71 73 72

289 Wes Short 71 71 70 77

290 Joey Sindelar 68 74 74 74, Joe Durant 70 70 77 73

291 Jesper Parnevik (Swe) 66 77 74 74

292 Scott Miller 71 72 74 75

293 Ben Curtis 74 69 74 76, Pat Perez 68 74 76 75, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 71 67 80 75

294 Chris Riley 70 72 77 75

296 DJ Trahan 70 73 79 74