He overcame an erratic display with his putter to win the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational by one shot at Firestone Country Club on Sunday.

The smooth-swinging Fijian squandered an early two-stroke lead with an untidy run around the turn.

But he held on to clinch his first victory in a World Golf Championship event.

It was also the former world No 1's first win in 17 months.

Sunday's feat also gave Vijay the most wins by an international player in US PGA Tour history. His 32nd victory is one more than Englishman Harry Cooper, who achieved his milestone in the 1920s to 30s.

Joint pace-setter overnight with American Phil Mickelson and Britain's Lee Westwood, Vijay fired a two-under-par 68 for a 270 total.

A stroke behind were Westwood (69) and Australian Stuart Appleby (68).

Mickelson had to settle for joint fourth with South African Retief Goosen after he bogeyed three of the last four holes for a 70.

Said Vijay: 'This gives me a lot of confidence. I struck the ball really well, especially with my irons.

'Except for the second day, my driver was really good all week.

'This win puts me in a really good frame of mind going into next week and the rest of the season.'

He was referring to the PGA Championship at Oakland Hills, which starts on Thursday.

Vijay, who switched back to a belly putter last month, was relieved to sink a four-footer and par the last.

'I didn't want to have a four-footer,' the 45-year-old said.

'I was kind of sweating on it. I just had to be comfortable over it.

'I hit on the right edge and it actually started right where I aimed and went in the hole.

'I'm really relieved.

'I had a good finish there in the end. I kept hitting a lot of good shots but my putting was not the best all day.

'Towards the end, it got kind of shaky.'

He appeared to have the title firmly in his grasp when he birdied four of the first six holes in ideal conditions to forge two shots clear - before his belly putter began to betray him.

One ahead at the turn, the Fijian briefly surrendered the lead to Mickelson when he missed a six-foot par putt at the 11th.

Although Vijay recovered at the par-three 12th, where he struck his tee shot to a couple of feet, he missed another six-footer to bogey the 13th.

After Mickelson collected his first bogey of the round at the 15th, where he was bunkered off the tee, the duo dropped back into a share of the lead with Westwood at 10 under.

Westwood faltered with a bogey at the 14th and Vijay wasted a chance to regain the outright lead when he missed a five-foot birdie putt at the 16th.

Mickelson then dropped another shot at the 17th after missing the fairway off the tee to join Westwood at nine under, a stroke behind Vijay.

After Mickelson collected his third bogey at the last, where he pulled his tee shot left of the fairway and struck his second into a greenside bunker, Westwood missed a 16-foot birdie chance on the 18th green to force a play-off.

His playing partner Vijay had reached the green in regulation and two-putted from 30 feet for par. That sealed his first victory since last year's Arnold Palmer Invitational.

REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE