Tiger Woods underlined his status as the world’s greatest player with a mesmerising final round performance to win the Dubai Desert Classic, conjuring a sizzling 65 to take the title by a shot from Martin Kaymer.
On a day of thrilling drama at the Emirates Golf Club, Woods emerged the victor after a quite sensational back nine of six under par 31 that culminated in a stunning up and down for a title winning birdie on the 18th green. It was a classic Woods moment, the kind of finish that only a man of his peerless mental fortitude could produce.
After a fine drive down the 18th fairway, Woods smashed a five wood to the 18th green and was unfortunate to see his ball come to rest in the thick rough on the fringe of the bunker at the back of the sloping green.
With his feet planted awkwardly in the bunker, the 32 year old chipped his ball onto the downslope, but such was the delicate nature of the shot, his ball stopped some 25 feet from the hole. Not to be undone, the World Number One refocused and with one gentle tap of his putter, drained his birdie putt into the middle of the cup, sending the watching thousands in the packed grandstands into delirium.
“It was a pretty exciting final round,” smiled Woods after receiving a cheque for €283,965.
Courtesy of the European Tour / Image: Credit: Getty Images