Noren wins British Masters for 3rd European title this year

Sweden's Alex Noren is doused during celebrations after winning The British Masters golf tournament at The Grove, Chandler's Cross, England, Sunday Oct. 16, 2016. (Steven Paston / PA via AP) (The Associated Press)

Sweden's Alex Noren celebrates after winning The British Masters golf tournament at The Grove, Chandler's Cross, England, Sunday Oct. 16, 2016. (Steven Paston / PA via AP) (The Associated Press)

Sweden's Alex Noren plays onto the 18th during day four of The British Masters golf tournament at The Grove, Chandler's Cross, England, Sunday Oct. 16, 2016. Noren won the British Masters. (Steven Paston / PA via AP) (The Associated Press)

Alex Noren of Sweden held his nerve at the British Masters on Sunday to claim a third European Tour title in his last eight tournaments.

Noren carded a final round of 69 at The Grove to finish on 18-under 266, two shots ahead of Bernd Wiesberger (67), with Lee Westwood (67) a shot further back in third.

A more comfortable victory had looked on the cards when Noren led by four shots after seven holes, only for the 26th-ranked player to bogey the seventh as playing partner Richard Bland holed from 50 feet for birdie.

Noren's lead was down to a single shot when he bogeyed the 11th and he did superbly to save par on the next — thanks to a brilliant recovery shot from the trees.

Wiesberger of Austria briefly joined Noren at the top of the leaderboard with a birdie on the par-five 15th, only for Noren to do likewise from a near-identical position in the group behind.

With Wiesberger unable to birdie the 18th, Noren knew all he needed was a par to win, but a superb pitch to two feet set up a birdie to cap off a brilliant run of form after victories in the Scottish Open and European Masters.