Monday 24 November 2014 09:32, UK
Swede Henrik Stenson held his nerve over the closing holes in Dubai to wrap up a two-shot victory at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship where he fired a closing two-under-par 70.
Stenson took advantage of a calamitous couple of holes by playing partner Rafa Cabrera-Bello to successfully defend his title at the concluding event of the European Tour’s Final Series.
At times Stenson was forced to hole some difficult putts just to make par and remain in contention but, at the par-three 17th, he conjured up the shot of the day to secure the all-important birdie.
At the 195-yard hole he fired a 5-iron to within 15 inches of the cup for a first birdie since the seventh and he held on at 18 where a clinical birdie-four did the trick.
The victory, which was Stenson's first of 2014, will move the 38-year-old up to second in the World Ranking when the updated list is published on Monday.
However, with three holes remaining, Cabrera-Bello appeared to be heading towards the biggest title of his career.
Holding a one-stroke lead on the par-four 16th, the 30-year-old Spaniard drove into a fairway bunker, from where he fired his second into another difficult lie only to over hit his third shot into the large lake behind the green.
In the end, the two-time Tour winner had to sink a tricky eight-footer for a double-bogey six.
And his troubles did not end there, as his iron tee-tee at 17 also found water and yielded a double-bogey five.
Cabrera-Bello, who won the Dubai Desert Classic in 2012, eventually carded a 75 to finish up in a tie-for-ninth and five shots off the pace.
Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose also came close to claiming victory but neither could secure a birdie on the par-five 18th which would have put more pressure on Stenson who was playing in the final group.
World No 1 McIlroy carded a bogey-free 68 but his 12-footer for a four at the final green slipped by but was presented with the 2014 Race to Dubai trophy at the conclusion of a memorable season for the man from Northern Ireland.
Rose also missed out on a closing birdie, after failing from six feet, as he compiled a 69 to join McIlroy at 14-under-par for 72 holes.
And Frenchman Victor Dubission made it a three-way tie for second after coming home in 33 shots that did include a closing birdie in a round of 68.
