Golf:Rory McIlroy's bid for a second European Tour title in the desert came up just short as he and Ian Poulter had to play second fiddle to Germany's Martin Kaymer, who won the €1.5million Abu Dhabi Golf Championship for the second time in three years.
Kaymer, playing with plates and screws in his foot after a go-karting accident last year, birdied the final hole to edge out Poulter by a shot with McIlroy having to settle for third.
Overnight leader Kaymer, the 2008 champion and last year’s runner-up, topped the leaderboard on 21-under-par as his bogey-free final-round 66 was enough to see off Poulter, who also carded a 66.
McIlroy, who won last year’s Dubai Desert Classic, dropped just one shot on his way to a five-under 67 to claim third, a shot further adrift on 19-under-par.
“I felt very calm the first 10, 12 holes, then Poulter he came a little close and all of a sudden he was leading by a shot and I really felt the pressure, especially on 16, 17 and 18,” said the winner, who moved up to sixth in the world after securing his fifth European Tour title.
“I had a really difficult par putt on 17, which fortunately I made and then a nice two-putt birdie on the last to win by one. The putt on 17 was definitely the most important of the day for me.”
Shane Lowry posted his best finish on the European Tour since his Irish Open heroics last May with his bogey-free 67 to secure fourth on his own on 17-under.
Peter Lawrie’s final round 67 moved the Dublin up 15 placed to 27th on nine-under, while Darren Clarke remained static after a closing 72 left him on three-under.
Kaymer took home the €250,000 top prize and moved up to sixth in the latest world rankings, while McIlroy earned €93,900 for his week’s work. Lowry enjoyed his best pay on tour by pocketing €75,000.
Collated final round scores and totals in the European Tour The Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, Abu Dhabi GC, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
(Gbr & Irl unless stated, par 72):
267Martin Kaymer (Ger) 67 67 67 66
268Ian Poulter 65 70 67 66
269Rory McIlroy 66 69 67 67
271Shane Lowry 68 65 71 67
272Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 67 71 68 66
273Rhys Davies 66 68 72 67, Ariel Canete (Arg) 70 65 74 64
274Anders Hansen (Den) 69 70 68 67, Soren Hansen (Den) 72 67 68 67, David Horsey 73 66 70 65
275Peter Hanson (Swe) 66 67 70 72, Alvaro Quiros (Spa) 66 70 68 71
276Francesco Molinari (Ita) 68 68 72 68, Anthony Kim (USA) 70 70 68 68, Mikko Ilonen (Fin) 71 67 72 66, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 66 67 74 69, Richard Green (Aus) 70 65 72 69, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 69 70 67 70
277Chris Wood 70 64 70 73, Camilo Villegas (Col) 71 68 69 69
278Hennie Otto (Rsa) 70 67 70 71, Thomas Aiken (Rsa) 67 70 71 70, Steve Webster 68 69 74 67, Rick Kulacz (Aus) 69 63 73 73, Jamie Donaldson 70 69 67 72, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 70 72 69 67
279Jeppe Huldahl (Den) 70 67 72 70, Gary Orr 69 71 70 69, Paul Lawrie 66 70 72 71, Paul Casey 72 69 69 69, Peter Lawrie 71 71 70 67, Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 69 66 71 73, Ross McGowan 69 71 67 72
280Daniel Vancsik (Arg) 66 70 73 71, Richard Bland 65 74 71 70, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 72 69 68 71
281Anthony Wall 71 68 74 68, Paul Waring 68 70 71 72, Prayad Marksaeng (Tha) 70 72 68 71, Simon Dyson 72 67 75 67, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 74 68 69 70
282Johan Edfors (Swe) 70 69 73 70
283Alexander Noren (Swe) 66 74 72 71, Marc Warren 69 69 72 73, Thomas Bjorn (Den) 71 69 70 73, Nick Dougherty 71 68 74 70, Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa) 74 68 72 69, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa) 73 69 73 68
284Mikael Lundberg (Swe) 71 71 73 69, Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 73 69 72 70, Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 70 72 72 70, Keith Horne (Rsa) 65 72 78 69, Tano Goya (Arg) 71 70 72 71, Peter Hedblom (Swe) 72 70 73 69, Marcus Fraser (Aus) 71 69 71 73
285Shiv Kapur (Ind) 68 74 72 71, Phillip Price 72 70 71 72, Darren Clarke 70 72 71 72, Bradley Dredge 68 73 72 72
286Robert Karlsson (Swe) 72 70 73 71, Martin Erlandsson (Swe) 74 68 75 69, Colin Montgomerie 73 68 74 71
287Paul Broadhurst 71 70 74 72
288Brett Rumford (Aus) 71 69 73 75, David Howell 69 72 75 72, Todd Hamilton (USA) 68 74 73 73, James Kamte (Rsa) 72 68 74 74, Mark Foster 68 70 74 76
289Niclas Fasth (Swe) 73 69 73 74, Richard Finch 69 68 77 75
291Rafael Echenique (Arg) 67 75 70 79
292David Dixon 71 69 76 76
293Metteo Manassero (Ita) 70 72 77 74