SWEDE SENSATION DELIGHTED WITH FIRST "HOME VICTORY"
DUBAI, Feb 4 – It''s not easy to beat the Big Easy, but Henrik Stenson did that, winning the Dubai Desert Classic title in what turned out to be a head-to-head clash between the two ''golf in DUBAI'' ambassadors at the Emirates Golf Club on Sunday.

The Dubai-based Swede, starting the day two shots off the pace, closed with a solid four-under-par 68 for 19-under-par total of 269 to beat overnight leader Ernie Els by one shot.

In between Tiger Woods raised the vision of his famous Sunday change, but the world number one again felt let down by his putting and finished tied third with Niclas Fasth on 17-under-par 271 after carding a 69. Ross Fisher did look threatening at times but faded away as the round wore on and finished alone in fifth on a 16 under par 272 after carding a 71.

On a day when a dust storm picked up later in the afternoon made things difficult for most of the players, Stenson kept his cool and completed a sparkling journey around the Majlis course.

"It's unbelievable to win sort of your own tournament. Dubai is very special now," said Stenson after receiving the winner's trophy from Mohamed Ali Alabbar, chairman of 'golf in DUBAI.'

"I got to close in Sweden two years ago, but lost in a playoff at the Scandinavian Masters. And obviously being based down here, this is my second home tournament, so to be able to win that one in front of family and friends and supporters, it's just unbelievable," said Stenson who hit 51 greens in regulation out of 54 in the first three days and then 15 on Sunday.

"I played my absolute best, but it was fairly solid. There is a difference obviously if you hit the green, but what counts is whether you hit them close to the pin or not. And I was sort of just trailing along hitting a lot of green, a lot of two putts, giving myself chances and then obviously had a couple of really good ones and hit them close.

That sort of mind-set I had going into the week, just try to grind it out, fairway and greens. And I guess I succeeded in the end," he said.

"It's always nice to beat Tiger. It's probably the first tournament I have won that he has been in. Tiger is a great player, so that gave me extra satisfaction."

Ernie Els, who was chasing his fourth title in Dubai, said it was a real battle out there. "I really got out of sorts on the greens and a couple of bad swings (further made things difficult)," he said.

It was pretty exciting coming down the stretch. He had chances to make pick up shots on the 13th and 17th, but missed. "I also put myself a little bit under pressure with some tee shots. I wasn't quite sharp enough out of the block, so I can definitely work on that. The first hour, I wasn't quite myself," he said.

The world number one had his moments, but poor putting blew his chances. "Well, that's one of the worst putting weeks I have had in a long time… very frustrating. I have got to work that out when I go home," Woods said.

He wasn't unduly bothered by windy conditions. "No, you had to grind it out. Just needed to stay patient. I guess I did that for most of the day," said Woods, who, for a change, was wearing sunglasses.

"I have just never done it. So, I can't putt in them and that's for sure. I always take them off when I chip-and-putt. Full shot, I am fine with it."

Playing in the same group with Els and Stenson, India's Jyoti Randhawa failed to match pace with his more illustrious partners and closed with a two over 74, the disappointing finish pushing him down to a tied seventh place on a 13 under par 275.

The presence of Formula One legend Michael Schumacher and Roger Federer -- the Tiger Woods of tennis – added colours to the carnival atmosphere at the Emirates Golf Club, which again witnessed an exciting finish to the week.