Dubai: Spain's Alvaro Quiros won the 22nd annual Omega Dubai Desert Classic with an 11-under par four-day score of 73-68-68-68 at Emirates Golf Club yesterday. He takes home $416,660 (Dh1.53 million) in prize money.
In pictures: Dubai Desert Classic
His winning round, which saw him start the day tied for fourth a shot off the lead with six other golfers, took in an eagle on two, birdies on three and five, a triple bogey on eight with his ball stuck up a palm tree and another birdie on nine.
His back nine was even more eventful with a hole in one on eleven using a wedge from 145 metres. He went onto bogey 14 and birdie 16 for the win.
He saw off competition from Denmark's Anders Hansen 69-68-71-70 and South Africa's James Kingston 72-72-67-67 who both finished a shot behind tied for second. Meanwhile tied for fourth at nine under came Australia's Scott Strange, France's Jean Baptiste Gonnet and Spain's Alvaro Velasco.
Sergio Garcia (67-67-75-75), Rory McIlroy (65-68-75-74) and Tiger Woods (71-66-72-75), who had all been up there within a shot of victory at the start of day four, folded on the last day in windy conditions.
This is Quiros' fifth European Tour win in his 100th European Tour event. He's now won an event in each of the five seasons he's been a full member, dating back to 2007. With this win he moves to 21 from 37 in the world rankings, his highest career position to date.
Quiros said of the feat: "I have to recognise that this win arrives at a very good moment. I was trying to work properly, mentally speaking, and obviously I've been lucky, but everybody has to be lucky to win tournaments. I made two triple bogeys this week, which is not a normal thing in a winner, so it means that I'm in a good way, even when I have an irregular round like today."
"We are coming back from a winter break and its difficult to make really good or important scores — so right now, after today, everything is going to start again. Obviously I'm very happy with my win, but it's difficult to expect winning tournaments, for me, for probably the No. 1 in the world its not that difficult, but I'm a normal guy.
Winning one per year is great for me." Anders Hansen who had done well in the wind on day three to go into the last day tied for first could have challenged Quiros to a play-off but bogeyed four holes from the end. Hansen who also bogeyed two, birdied six, eight and eagled 13 but a mistake on 15 handed Quiros the win outright.
Meanwhile, Kingston started the day at five under tied for 13 crawled his way into contention with a five under round with birdies on one, two, three, 10, 11 and 17 he bogeyed only on four.
Scores
Final round:
- 277 - Alvaro Quiros (ESP) 73-68-68-68
- 278 - Anders Hansen (DEN) 69-68-71-70, James Kingston (RSA) 72-72-67-67
- 279 - Scott Strange (AUS) 72-72-67-68, Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (FRA) 68-69-72-70, Alvaro Velasco (ESP) 74-70-65-70
- 280 - Fredrik Andersson Hed (SWE) 69-71-69-71, Thomas Aiken (RSA) 67-67-74-72.
