SUTTON COLDFIELD, England (PA) -- Lee Westwood is up to second on the European Order of Merit, but not quite in the way he had hoped.

Westwood narrowly failed to retain his Quinn Direct British Masters title at The Belfry on Sunday, losing on the third hole of a playoff to Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano. But though he failed to hold a three-stroke lead with 10 holes to play, the Ryder Cup star is not going to beat himself up about it.

"When you don't play your best golf and get in a playoff, you take positives from that," said Westwood. "I just struggled with my swing all day. I didn't feel under control at any point and paid for it. I plugged away and kept hanging around and tried to graft it out."

Last year's five-shot victory in the same event remains his last success, but he has now had 14 top-10 finishes since then and with the $400,000 check -- Fernandez-Castano took home $600,000 -- he has brought Ryder Cup teammate Padraig Harrington within range at the top of the money list.

Five weeks remain in that race and both players are at this week's Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland. Harrington's money lead is down to just under $350,000.

"I made some inroads, but I am still missing a win this year," said Westwood. "Everyone else has won and they are the really big checks, so that shows the consistency I'm at."

Victory would have taken him into the world's top 10 for the first time since 2001 and, having fallen outside the top 260 in that time, the 35-year-old Westwood's comeback is truly impressive.

Of the Order of Merit events left, Harrington is planning to play only this week and the season-ending Volvo Masters at Valderrama, whereas Westwood also has the Portugal Masters in two weeks' time.

It is quite possible for him to regain the crown he held in 2000 without capturing a trophy, but it would make it so much sweeter if he does.

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