Miguel Angel Jimenez beat Lee Westwood at the third play-off hole to win the Dubai Desert Classic following a thrilling see-saw final day at Emirates Golf Club. Defending champion Rory McIlroy shot a disappointing 73 to share sixth place on eight under.
European number one Westwood birdied the last hole in regulation to card a final round level par 72 to join Jimenez at 11-under-par.
Spaniard Jimenez, who began the day holding a one shot lead alongside Westwood, Alvaro Quiros and Thongchai Jaidee, missed a 10-foot birdie chance at the 72nd hole to card his own final round of 72.
Westwood missed championship-winning putts at the first two extra holes, while on both occasions Jimenez had to fight to stay in contention - with a 12-foot par putt the second time around keeping his title hopes alive.
After switching to the par four ninth after two trips up the 18th, Jimenez holed out from four feet to claim his 19th professional title and first since the 2008 BMW PGA Championship, after Westwood had missed his 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 the 46-year-old, two-time the Dubai Desert Classic runner-up.
"I made a very good putt on the second hole of the play-off on the 18th that kept me going then I had a putt to win.
"My last win was in 2008 in the PGA and it proves the old guys like me can win."
Abu Dhabi champion Martin Kaymer (70) and Challenge Tour number one Edoardo Molinari (71) finished fourth at nine under par, with McIlroy and Quiros a further shot adrift.
Gregory Bourdy (68), 2007 champion Henrik Stenson (68) and 60-year-old eight-time major winner Tom Watson (68) completed the top 10 at six-under-par.
Graeme McDowell and Gareth Maybin finished on three-under-par after a 75 and 72 respectively, one ahead of Darren Clarke (73).
Damien McGrane stayed on one over after a level par 72.
After Westwood had briefly held a two-shot lead midway through the front nine before shipping a double-bogey, Jimenez and Quiros both moved one clear on the back nine.
But after back-to-back bogeys halted Quiros' challenge, Jimenez added a second birdie of the day at the 17th to set the clubhouse lead.
Needing a birdie at the last, Westwood aggressively drove the final green to set up his crucial fourth gain of the day after seeing a birdie chance lip out two holes earlier.
At the first play-off hole after driving the green over a lake, Westwood saw a curling 10-foot birdie putt for the title stop on the edge of the cup, while Jimenez battled to save his par after his approach came within an inch of dropping into the water at the front of the green.
Jimenez again looked out of the hunt on the second play-off hole after an uncharacteristic wayward tee shot before hitting his third shot into the back bunker.
But with Westwood within inches after leaving an 18-foot putt for the title just short having again set himself up with another aggressive second shot approach into the par five, Jimenez held his nerve to hole a 12-foot par putt.
The play-off switched to the par-four ninth and despite finding rough off the tee, and like Westwood failing to find the green in two, Jimenez converted his up and down to deny the Englishman claiming a win which would have lifted him to third in the world.
Collated final round scores & totals
(Gbr & Irl unless stated, Irish in bold, par 72):
277Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 70 67 68 72 (Miguel Angel Jimenez won at the third play-off holes), Lee Westwood 72 65 68 72
278Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 70 66 69 73
279Martin Kaymer (Ger) 71 70 68 70, Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 68 70 70 71
280 Rory McIlroy 68 70 69 73, Alvaro Quiros (Spa) 69 69 67 75
282Tom Watson (USA) 73 70 71 68, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 74 70 70 68, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 76 69 69 68
283Ross Fisher 70 72 70 71, Paul Casey 69 71 70 73, David Horsey 71 73 70 69, Marcus Fraser (Aus) 70 68 70 75
284Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 68 72 70 74, Christian Nilsson (Swe) 70 71 69 74, Oliver Wilson 72 74 67 71, Thomas Bjorn (Den) 71 73 69 71, Richard Green (Aus) 69 74 71 70
285Robert Rock 70 74 69 72, Chris Wood 72 74 68 71, Graeme McDowell 72 68 70 75, Paul Waring 74 72 67 72, Gareth Maybin 73 68 72 72, Soren Hansen (Den) 71 72 73 69, David Lynn 72 71 70 72
286Peter Hanson (Swe) 73 69 70 74, Francesco Molinari (Ita) 7175 73 67, Alexander Noren (Swe) 68 74 69 75, Darren Clarke 71 70 72 73
287Felipe Aguilar (Chi) 71 74 70 72, Richard Bland 74 67 74 72, David Drysdale 72 74 72 69, Stephen Gallacher 73 71 67 76, Anders Hansen (Den) 69 73 70 75, Prayad Marksaeng (Tha) 74 70 71 72, Metteo Manassero (Ita) 69 72 71 75
288James Kingston (Rsa) 75 67 71 75, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 68 70 76 74, Marcel Siem (Ger) 71 70 75 72, Nick Dougherty 72 74 73 69, Peter Hedblom (Swe) 71 72 72 73, Kenneth Ferrie 74 72 71 71
289Robert Karlsson (Swe) 70 71 76 72, Seung-yul Noh (Kor) 72 74 69 74, Damien McGrane 73 73 71 72, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 74 72 68 75, Tano Goya (Arg) 73 72 70 74, Mark Foster 74 72 71 72, Pablo Martin (Spa) 71 73 73 72
290Robert Jan Derksen (Ned) 74 71 71 74, Stephen Dodd 68 69 76 77, Shiv Kapur (Ind) 74 71 71 74, Ross Bain 72 71 73 74, Bradley Dredge 72 71 74 73
291Brett Rumford (Aus) 73 73 72 73, John Bickerton 73 70 76 72, Simon Dyson 71 74 75 71, Thomas Levet (Fra) 73 73 74 71
292Daniel Vancsik (Arg) 74 70 73 75, Maarten Lafeber (Ned) 73 71 70 78, Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia (Ind) 77 69 70 76, Johan Edfors (Swe) 72 71 70 79, Paul Broadhurst 72 72 71 77
294Jeppe Huldahl (Den) 75 68 72 79
295Erik Compton (USA) 73 73 76 73
299Hennie Otto (Rsa) 76 67 77 79