Henrik Stenson withstood the combined challenges of three time champion Ernie Els, World Number One Tiger Woods, fellow Swede Niclas Fasth and England’s Ross Fisher to win the Dubai Desert Classic after a thrilling final day at the Emirates Golf Club.
A seven foot birdie putt on the final green completed a final round of 68 for a 19 under par total 269, earning the Dubai-based Stenson a one stroke victory over Els, his playing partner for four days.
Any one of five players from the last two groups could have walked away with the magnificent trophy as the birdies dropped down the closing stretch.
Els saw his two shot overnight lead wiped out when he dropped three shots in the first six holes but rallied well with three birdies coming in for a round of 71 but the World Number Five came up one short.
Woods also battled hard, bouncing back from two dropped shots immediately after the turn with four birdies in his last six holes for a final round of 69 but was two shy of the target.
Likewise Fasth mounted a strong challenge with a round of 68 to tie with Woods on 17 under par while Fisher did himself proud in only his second season on Tour with a final round of 71 to finish on 16 under par.
But it was Stenson, an ambassador for Golf in Dubai, who reigned supreme amid the swirling sands swept in by the desert Shamaal to claim his fifth European Tour title.
Only one bogey marred his round, on the ninth hole, where he hit his second shot onto the roof of the hospitality unit. Before he could take a drop, he first had to identify his ball, involving an act which would not have out of place in the Cirque du Soleil. Fifty metres up, he stepped onto a rail and then balanced on a spectator’s shoulders as he strained to see his ball. Once it was clear it was indeed his, he was able to drop the ball but dropped his one and only shot.
Turning for home however there was no such drama as he picked up four birdies on a flawless back nine of 33 to win the title. Victory earned Stenson €309,862 and lifted him to fourth on The European Tour Order of Merit.
“It’s unbelievable to win sort of your own tournament,” said Stenson. “I came so close in Sweden two years ago when I lost in a play-off for the Scandinavian Masters. Being based down here, this is my second home tournament, so to be able to win in front of family and friends is just unbelievable.
“It’s always nice to beat Tiger obviously. It’s the first tournament I have won that he’s been in. He is a great player, so of course that gives you extra satisfaction to beat him. Nevertheless, to play four rounds with Ernie and to beat him by a shot coming down the stretch is pretty much the same satisfaction. It’s a good win to have under my belt, especially when he’s playing in it.”
For Els, it was another close call in an event he has won three times but finished runner-up for the second consecutive year.
“I knew after the start, I just wanted to give myself a chance coming down the stretch,” said Els. “I really got out of sorts on the greens and a couple of bad swings.
“But I think I got myself under control after the start and then it was a real battle, you know, who could make putts and who could hit the right shot in there.
“Henrik was great. It was great playing with him for four days. One shot separated us for four days. I had a good time.”
Woods, arriving in Dubai on the back of a run of seven consecutive victories on the US PGA Tour, put up a brave defence of his title but was let down by his putter throughout the week.
“I hit it well enough to at least give myself a chance, and just did not putt at all well,” admitted Woods. “I putted poorly all week, and it's frustrating because I come over here to the best greens we've seen in a long time and I miss a bunch.”
Fasth forced himself into contention with three birdies on the back nine but was a couple of birdies short.
“It turned into a very tight battle out there,” said Fasth. “It was up to anybody. I was effectively lacking one birdie up there.”
Fisher stood toe-to-toe with the world’s best players, only admitting defeat when he dropped shots at the 16th and 17th.
He said: “I think my caddie, Adam, probably summed it up when he said, you've only just got to look at the leaderboard: Stenson, Els, Woods, Fasth, Fisher. You're playing with the world's best players, you're playing with the World Number One, and I think you can walk away from here with your head held high.”
