Lee Westwood believes that he has proved he can now win his first major title after he scooped a jackpot Dubai double yesterday.

Westwood claimed his second European Tour Order of Merit, now christened the Race to Dubai, by carding a stunning course record eight-under- par 64 in the final round of the season-ending Dubai World Championship at Jumeirah.

That gave the 36-year-old Englishman a tournament total 23-under-par 265 for an emphatic six-shot victory over compatriot Ross McGowan.

Crucially, the Ryder Cup star finished eight shots clear of Rory McIlroy and that saw him leapfrog the 20-year-old sensation from Northern Ireland to the top of the Race to Dubai money list.

Westwood promised the Championship first prize of £744,180 plus a money-list bonus of £893,016 would fund "several celebration parties".

Now back up to his previous career high of fourth in the world rankings, Westwood will be turning his thoughts towards next season's four majors and that title that would seal his status as one of the nation's greatest golfers.

"That has to be the priority," he said. "That's the only thing missing. I've come very close in a few majors just recently - third in last year's US Open where I missed out on a play-off by a shot, third in this year's Open where I also missed out on a play-off by a shot, and I came third in the US PGA Championship as well.

"I keep giving myself chances. Now, if I can take the confidence from Dubai where I proved I can play under the maximum amount of pressure, I'll know exactly what to do when that major comes along and I'm in contention again."

What he must do is adopt the mindset of a bully, just as caddie Billy Foster told him he should do at Jumeirah, where Westwood knew he had to finish at least first or second to deny McIlroy the Race to Dubai title.

Westwood said: "Last Tuesday, Billy had had just enough beers to tell me what he really thought. He gave me a bit of a chat, in fact it was a bit of a telling off really.

"He said, 'What are you looking at the leaderboards for, at what everybody else is doing?

"Why aren't you playing like I know Lee Westwood can play: forcing the issue, bullying everybody else, making them worry about you?'

"So that's what I tried to do all week, have that killer instinct, have that look in my eyes that said 'I own this tournament'. And it worked."

McIlroy, who was hoping to have become the youngest money-list winner since a 19-year-old Seve Ballesteros triumphed in 1976, was gracious in defeat.

He said: "Even if I had played my best, I don't know if I would have been able to get to 23 under par.

"Lee has played great over the season and he deserved this."