Green digs his own hole in final round

Dubai: Richard Green threw away a joint lead in the Desert Classic and missed the play-off after driving into the rough at the last hole.

Australian Green, who went into the final day in joint third with Miguel Angel Jimenez and Ernie Els at 14-under, was tied for first place after the 17th hole at Emirates Golf Club. He sunk at 20-foot putt at the 17th, but a poor tee at the next hole saw his dreams of a win dashed.

He bogeyed the 18th after his tee shot landed in the scrub and an attempt to punch the ball out of trouble left him with no line to the hole.

Green was forced to settle for third place and prize money of $149,291 (Dh548,360) as Tiger Woods and Ernie Els fought it out in a play-off, which saw Woods claim his first-ever Desert Classic win.

Green, who won the Dubai tournament in 1997 and the Australian Open in 2004, said: "Unfortunately my driver has cost me another win. It is pretty disappointing to see the result of it, but that 18th doesn't play as well for me as it does the right-handers.

"I tried to be aggressive off the tee and take a bit more out of it, but it just came off and went in the trees and it was as bad a lie as you could get. I fluffed it out and unfortunately it got stuck behind a tree."

But it was not all doom and gloom for Green, who believes he has recovered some of his 2004 form and is off to his native Australia next week for the Johnnie Walker Classic to test this theory.

"I had some good quality holes before that and gave myself chances," he said. "I was in the mode and had some feeling for it.

"It is nice to get back in the form I was in, in 2004, and a few decisions I have made have put the gloss on it. It should be good for the next few weeks."

Green also paid tribute to his playing partners on the last day, Desert Classic winner Woods and three-time winner Els.

"These guys are just so good," he said. "Ernie is unreal and I knew I would need a couple of shots on him on the last hole to beat him.

"His length is unreal and it is hard to beat him, but I tried to with my game and couldn't quite do enough. I will take this form into next week and keep pressing on."