Els Eagles the Last to Win in Dubai
Posted March 6th, 2005 by Erik J. Barzeski
Ernie Els eagled the 18th to win by one while Jimenez three-jacked from 70 feet to lose.
Ernie Els has won the Dubai Desert Classic, holing an 18-foot eagle putt on the 547-yard final hole and watching second- and third-round leader Miguel Angel Jimenez three-putt the same green to lose by one.
Els came to the 18th in third place, behind Jimenez and Stephen Dodd. The Spaniard Jimenez reached the par-5 finishing hole in two and was the clear favorite, but three-jacked from 70 feet after failing to read enough break. His six-footer for a playoff missed the cup. Meanwhile, Els - who had crushed his drive and was left with only 178 yards to a pin tucked just over water - hit a towering 6-iron and read his putt perfectly.
Said Els of his victory, "phew, man." He then elaborated, saying "I'm lost for words. I tell you. This is definitely a big win for me, especially the fashion I won it in. In the last three or four years I've won a lot and lost a lot. This is one I pulled out of the hat - a nice change for me."
Said Els of Jimenez, "I know what he's going through right now, and it's not nice."
Colin Montgomerie finished fourth - not quite high enough finish in the top 50 in the World Rankings for an invitation to the Masters. "I played well, but they played better," Monty said after the round. "It was a golden opportunity to win. But my last five tournaments have been super, and I've just got to start holing some more putts. I'm hitting it really well." He'll play in China in two weeks to attempt to make the top 50.
The last two times Els won in Dubai, he bagged a major the same year. Els earned £191,477 for his efforts and finished at -19 269.
Photo Credits: © Dubai Desert Classic.
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