Woods wins in Dubai after stunning back nine

Tiger Woods came from four behind Ernie Els in the Dubai Desert Classic to claim his fifth consecutive tournament win.

Tiger Woods wins Desert Classic
(Image credit: Getty Images)

A back nine of 31 gave Tiger Woods victory in the Dubai Desert Classic after starting the day four shots behind Ernie Els.

Woods had looked out of the tournament when he made bogey on the 9th while Els looked steady after going out in 33. The World Number One then produced a birdie blitz, finishing with six birdies on the back nine. Woods flew his second shot into the par-five 18th through the green and left his chip 25-feet short of the hole. In typical Woods fashion he holed the difficult downhill putt to finish on 14-under.

This left Els one behind with three holes to play after making two bogeys and two birdies coming home. The South African could not find a birdie at 16 or 17 and then found water with his second shot at 18 to hand Woods his second Desert Classic title in three years.

Martin Kaymer continued his fantastic form with a birdie, birdie, eagle finish that was good enough for second place after Els made bogey at the last. Louis Oosthuizen also battled brilliantly on the back nine but a bogey on the last left him two behind Woods.

This is Woods? second win in two starts in 2008 after claiming the Buick Invitational by eight shots on the PGA Tour last week.

Dubai Desert Classic

-14 T Woods (US)

-13 M Kaymer (Ger)

-12 E Els (SA), L Oosthuizen (SA)

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