Dubai: Stephen Gallacher birdied two of the last three holes on Sunday to become the first player to successfully defend the Dubai Desert Classic.
Starting the day two strokes clear of the field, the 39-year-old Scot was reeled in by the time he walked off the second green as he strayed off the tee.
But instead of going under after four bogeys in nine holes, he battled back and, on a day of high drama, emerged in front again on the back nine and held his nerve over the last three holes.
The target of 15 under was set by Argentinian upstart Emiliano Grillo, who sunk a 40-footer for eagle at the par-five last after his over-cooked second outrageously rebounded back onto the green off an hospitality tent.
Gallacher drew level with a birdie at 16 and then a sublime chip from the greenside rough for birdie at the next eased him back ahead.
He needed to par the last to win and he managed that by sinking an edgy three-footer after his third shot had spun back too far to the edge of the front of the green.
The title defence was something that other former winners such as Tiger Woods, Ernie Els and Seve Ballesteros were unable to accomplish and it revived Gallacher`s hopes of playing in the Ryder Cup in Scotland in September.
"It took everything I had after the poor front nine, but I just tried to build on yesterday (63) and stay patient," he said.
"I was quite fortunate that no-one ran away with it and I just tried to hit every shot at a time, just like yesterday.
"I knew a five was going to win it and it`s the only time that I`ve hit a back spin like that all week and it`s nearly gone in the water.
"But yesterday was the key - to be 10 under through 10 holes.
"I wish I could play this course every week."
Grillo was solo in second for the biggest prize of his fledging career so far with France`s Romain Wattel and Brooks Koepka of the United States a further stroke back on 14 under after a 66 and 70 respectively.
Tournament favourite Rory McIlroy endured a torrid final day and could only manage a 74 and a tie for ninth.
Woods, meanwhile, finished with a flourish, birdieing his final three holes for a closing 71.
But he was already, at the start of the day, too far behind to have any say in the proceedings as he left Dubai tied for 41st and still looking to kick his 2014 season into full gear.
"Unfortunately I turned it around too late," he commented.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.