Last hole disaster -- Woods hands title to Bjorn

Last hole disaster -- Woods hands title to Bjorn
Mitch Phillips

DUBAI, March 4: A last hole disaster by Tiger Woods on Sunday handed the European Tour Dubai Desert Classic title to Thomas Bjorn, the Dane who had chased the world number one doggedly for four days.

After leading for almost the entire tournament, Woods saw Bjorn draw level on the 17th and then cruise to victory after Woods sent his drive into the desert and then hit his third shot into the water.

Bjorn safely made par for a three-under finish 69 and a 22-under aggregate of 266 a tournament record. Woods, who had birdied the 18th on the three previous days, carded a double-bogey seven to end with par 72 and a share of second place with Irishman Padraig Harrington on 20-under.

Swede Mathias Gronberg and Briton Ian Woosnam ended on 18-under.Woods began the day on 20-under but was in trouble immediately when he missed a four foot putt to drop a shot on the first hole.

He got it back on the par-5 third but dropped another on the eighth, where in a repeat of Saturday he missed a six foot putt.

Again he hit back straight away, after a fortuitous bounce left him 12ft from the pin on the ninth, duly sinking the putt.

Harrington had briefly held the lead on his own at 20-under after sinking a monster on the ninth minutes earlier to go 3-under for the first nine.

Bjorn had a torrid time on the Front nine as he partnered Woods for the fourth consecutive day. Wearing a red shirt to throw down a challenge to the world number one who always wears red on the final day he struggled badly with his putter and along with dropping a shot on the fifth, missed three gettable birdie efforts.

However, the Dane reignited his challenge with an eagle three on the 10th, finally sinking from long range to join the leaders, only for Woods to make birdie from four feet to go one clear.

Woods and Bjorn both birdied the par-5 13th for the fourth successive day the Dane doing so despite having to chip out sideways after his wayward drive nestled against a palm tree. As the tension mounted both men made and missed further birdie chances, having to settle for par over the next three holes.

But Bjorn finally bagged one on the 17th, sinking from eight feet after Woods had missed from fractionally longer.

On the par-5 18th, a hole considered almost a birdie certainty by the players, Bjorn found the fairway but Woods was wild to the right.

His recovery ended in the rough and his third fell short of the green into a large pond in front of the green.

Bjorn safely made his par to lift the title and leave Woods still searching for his first win of the season. Harrington’s chance disappeared on the way home when he missed a four foot putt for birdie on the 15th, fluffed a chip to bogey the 16th and missed a four foot birdie putt on the 17th.