* Quiros lands Dubai title by one shot
* Fifth European Tour win for Spaniard
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By Bernie McGuire
DUBAI, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Spain’s Alvaro Quiros produced a bizarre final round which included a hole-in-one to capture the Dubai Desert Classic by one shot on Sunday.
The 27-year-old Quiros, celebrating his fifth European Tour success, also chipped in for an eagle and took a triple bogey after losing a ball up a palm tree in a final-round 68 to finish 11-under-par.
Denmark’s Anders Hansen, needing to birdie the last hole to deny Quiros, posted a 70 to end with a 10-under-par tally, the same as South African James Kingston.
Struggling Tiger Woods ended his desert campaign with a final-hole double bogey in a closing 75 for a four-under-par score.
Briton Lee Westwood dropped three shots in his closing two holes and posted a 72 but remains world number one after nearest ranking rival Martin Kaymer of Germany ended in a share of 31st place.
Quiros’s ace, his fourth on the European Tour, came at the 11th.
“I played a three-quarter wedge shot and it was the perfect shot, but that happens just once a year,” he said.
“I had fallen back to second or third so that hole-in-one was the positive point of the round. It gave me a good advantage.”
Starting his final round a shot behind the leaders, Quiros began with a bang after chipping in from five yards off the back of the green for an eagle at the second.
But he lost the lead when his drive at the eighth landed in bushes forcing him to take a penalty drop. However, Quiros’s ball plugged in the waste sand from where he skied the ball some 30-yards into a palm tree.
A pair of binoculars was required before Quiros, in the company of Chief Referee John Paramour, could confirm that the ball in the tree was his. Quiros took a penalty drop but walked off with a triple bogey.
He quickly shook off his misfortune to birdie the ninth and the hole-in-one then put him back in front for good.
Woods heads home still seeking a first win since November, 2009.
“It was a very frustrating day,” the American said.
“But I got off to such a poor start, to be two-over through three holes and I just couldn’t make it up from there.
“When it was calm this week, I hit the ball pure, and that’s the thing. When the wind blows, I have to shape shots and hit shots differently and all of my old feels are kind of out the window.
“That’s the thing about making changes, As I’ve said, I’ve been all through this before with my last two instructors, and it will come around. I just need more work and more practice.”
(Editing by Justin Palmer; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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