DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES | Spain's
Miguel Angel Jimenez parred the third
playoff hole to defeat European No. 1 Lee
Westwood and capture the Omega Dubai
Desert Classic on Sunday at Emirates Golf
Club. Jimenez, 46, won for the 16th time on
the European Tour. Jimenez and Westwood
ended regulation at 11-under, each shooting par 72 in the final round.
Westwood two-putted from 60 feet for
birdie on the 72nd hole to force a playoff
after the Spaniard missed a 10-foot birdie
attempt. Jimenez began the day sharing
a one-shot lead with Westwood, Alvaro
Quiros and Thongchai Jaidee. Westwood
missed winning putts on the first two extra
holes, while on both occasions Jimenez
had to fight to stay in contention – making a
12-foot par putt the second time around to
keep his title hopes alive.
After switching to the par- 4 ninth after
two trips up 18, Jimenez holed out from four
feet for his 19th professional title and first
since the 2008 BMW PGA Championship.
Westwood had missed a six-foot par putt.
“I feel so proud to win this trophy. I
like the golf course, I like the ambience
and I like the people and I am very happy,”
said Jimenez, who has previously finished
Despite a stressful finish, Lee Westwood said he is not yet worried about results.
Augusta, Not Avantha: Watson Masters His Schedule
from the previous week when he
missed the cut at Abu Dhabi. Then
his driver broke in the third round
in Qatar and he was upset with the
spike marks on the greens. “I had
a two-and-a-half footer on 16 with
Mount Vesuvius in the way.” West-
wood was suitably embarrassed.
“Since my grandmother passed,
my mum has taken on the role of
language police. She heard it on TV
and was disgusted. I realize we are
role models. It won’t happen again.”
is trying to get his marriage back
together.” An IMG spokesman said,
“We all know where Tiger is but
even he doesn’t know when he’ll
come back. But I suspect there is
only one person who will make that
decision – when he’s ready.”
runner-up twice in this event and is nick-
named “The Mechanic” for his love of cars.
“This proves old guys like me can win.”
Westwood moved from 17th to fifth on
the Race to Dubai money list.
"I hit good shots all the way in and just
didn't capitalize," he said. "Like I said at
the start of the week, I'm in pre-season
training. So the results, although I would
have liked to win this week, they don't
really concern me too much."
Tom Watson, 60, was informed that
with his T8 finish in Dubai he quali-fies to play in the Masters. There
was a pause and then a revelation.
That would be the Avantha Masters
in New Delhi, India, next weekend.
Watson just laughed. “I think I’m going to go in the opposite direction,”
he said. “West rather than east.”
Such has been the success of his
first visit to the Euro Tour Desert
Swing that Watson already has been
offered an invitation for 2011 and
would like to return. “I had seen
Dubai on the Internet, but to see it
up close has been spectacular.”
WESTWOOD SORRY FOR SWEARING
Runner-up Lee Westwood apologized for the cursing that boom microphones picked up as he walked
off the 16th green at the Qatar
Masters last week. The Englishman
said it was frustration boiling over
WHERE’S TIGER? NO. 237
Chubby Chandler, who manages
Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke and
Westwood, thinks Tiger’s managers
at IMG are not handling the crisis
too well. “If he was completely in
one piece and definitely going to get
a divorce, there is no reason why
he wouldn’t come back now. Either
he has something to hide or he
WATSON: HOW TO IMPROVE GOLF
“If I were commissioner, this is
what I would do. They have already
done the grooves, now get rid of the
big broom-handle putter. That's not
a stroke. And reduce the size of the
driver head from 460cc to 240cc.
That gets that sweet spot smaller.
If you mis-hit it, it's going to go 20
or 30 yards shorter rather than
four. And reduce the distance the
ball travels by 10 percent. Is there
any chance any of this happening?
No. There’s a 100 percent chance of
it not happening," he added with a
laugh. Paul Mahoney
Reuters
