Oosthuizen gets his win

Louis Oosthuizen: closing 68 was good enough for victory

Louis Oosthuizen bounced back from his Masters disappointment in perfect style with a three-shot victory in the Maybank Malaysian Open.

The South African - beaten in a play-off at Augusta by Bubba Watson last Sunday - shot a closing 68 at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club to hold off Scot Stephen Gallacher by a comfortable margin.

The 2010 Open champion had rounds of 66, 68, 69 and 68 to finish on 17 under par in the $2.5 million European and Asian Tour event.

Spaniard Rafael Cabrera-Bello, England's Danny Willett and American David Lipsky tied for third on 12 under.

Last year's Masters champion Charl Schwartzel was sixth, six shots back, while defending champion Matteo Manassero and former world number one Martin Kaymer shared seventh.

Finishing his weather-delayed third round early in the day with a 69, Oosthuizen took a one-shot lead into the fourth round at 13 under.

He was briefly tied with Willett at 14 under, but the Englishman found water at the fifth hole on his way to a triple bogey.

The 29-year-old Oosthuizen took a 30-hour journey from Georgia to Malaysia following his Masters disappointment and admitted: "I was a little surprised to win here after that.

"I thought I would be a lot more tired. My golf was a bit up and down in the morning at the end of the third round but I settled down and played well later."

Asked if 2012 could turn out to be a "monster year" for him, he replied: "It probably would have been if I had the green jacket! But I had a good week last week and I'm looking forward to the next major, the US Open, and to the Players Championship in three weeks."

The victory lifted Oosthuizen to second place in the European Tour Race to Dubai, behind US Open champion Rory McIlroy.