Stenson Tops Els, Woods for Dubai Title
By Sports Network - February 04, 2007
2006 Dubai Desert ClassicDUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Five different players held at least a share of the lead during Sunday's final round of the Dubai Desert Classic before Henrik Stenson broke through the crowd.
Stenson moved ahead of the pack with a birdie on the par-4 14th and clinched his fifth European Tour title with a birdie on the par-5 18th.
The Swede closed with a 4-under 68 to finish the tournament at 19-under-par 269. Third-round leader Ernie Els, a three-time winner here, managed a 1-under 71 to end alone in second at minus-18.
World No. 1 and 2006 champion Tiger Woods birdied four of the final six holes to shoot 3-under 69 at Emirates Golf Club. He tied for third place with Niclas Fasth, who shot a final-round 68, at 17-under-par 271.
Ross Fisher, who held at least a share of the lead after the first two rounds, closed with a 71 to finish in fifth at minus-16.
Fisher joined Woods, Els, Fasth and Stenson as the five players who owned at least a share of the lead during the final round. However, Fisher was done in by back-to-back bogeys from the 16th.
Stenson, who now lives in Dubai, birdied the par-4 second for the fourth straight round and that gave him a share of the lead with Els, who bogeyed the same hole.
The 30-year-old Stenson remained at 16 under as he parred the next six holes. During that span, Els and Fisher pulled ahead before eventually falling behind.
After the last of his six straight pars, Stenson was one up on Woods, Els and Fisher. However, Stenson faltered to a bogey on nine to join those three atop the leaderboard at 15 under par.
Stenson birdied the 11th for the third day in a row, joining Fasth, Fisher and Els in the lead. Fisher, playing one group ahead of Stenson, birdied the 13th. Stenson also birdied 13, for the fourth straight day, to tie Fisher at 17 under.
From there, Stenson pulled one clear with a birdie on No. 14 and things stayed that way as he parred the next three holes. Stenson drained a 7-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th to best Els, who also birdied the last.
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