GOLF DUBAI WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP:ALL THAT glitters is not gold, sometimes it's silver too. Yesterday, as players teed off from the first hole here at The Earth course to the backdrop of a royal collection of golfing trophies that featured the Wanamaker Trophy, the Claret Jug, the US Open Trophy and the Ryder Cup, the sense that something special would be required to claim the Dubai World Championship – with all its riches – was, indeed, palpable.
And so it proved to be, with Robert Karlsson – a desert specialist, having claimed the Qatar Masters in the far-off start to the season back in January – contriving to deprive England’s Ian Poulter of another landmark title.
The 6ft 4in Swede, who birdied the 18th in regulation for a 67 to tie with Poulter on 274, then proceeded to twice birdie the 620-yard par five hole in the subsequent play-off, although the second, and winning, birdie was a formality after Poulter dropped the ball on his marker to incur a one-stroke penalty.
Poulter’s accidental indiscretion, which caused the ball marker to flip over, was in breach of Rule 20-1/15. As soon as the ball slipped from his hand on to the marker, he knew his fate was sealed. “It pitched on the front (of the coin) and flipped over. One shot penalty. If it pitches in the middle, the coin doesn’t move and it’s fine,” said Poulter of a career first he would rather not have fashioned.
“The rules are there for a reason, but obviously some of them look very, very harsh at some stages,” admitted Karlsson.
Still, on a wonderfully sunny day, the rude health of the European Tour was confirmed. Apart from Karlsson claiming his 11th win on tour, but his most prestigious, there was also much to celebrate for Germany’s Martin Kaymer who, despite a lacklustre final round, succeeded Lee Westwood as the Race to Dubai winner.
Ironically, Kaymer finished tied in 13th place with Graeme McDowell – his chief pursuer coming in here – and, so, earned the European number one honours and, with it, €1 million bonus.
“It’s been a fantastic year,” remarked Kaymer, the US PGA champion. “All of the goals I set for myself, for my career, everything happened this year . . . . to win the Race to Dubai, to be (Europe’s) number one, to play in the Ryder Cup and to win a Major. we’ll see what happens next year.”
For his part, McDowell – who finished a career-best second on the Order of Merit – took the positives. “It’s been a dream season, it just so happened Martin Kaymer had an unbelievable season, as well, and it’s just been a great year for European golf and I’m just very proud to be part of that.”
Indeed, far from being content with his lot, McDowell – who flew out with Rory McIlroy on a 17-hour flight from Dubai to California for this week’s Chevron World Challenge hosted by Tiger Woods – is aiming even higher.
He explained: “I think a few years ago we all felt Tiger Woods was pretty invincible. Now that I see one of my friends and colleagues, Lee Westwood as world number one. I know how much improvement I can do in this game and how much better I can become.
“I think I’ve got to put that up as a goal of mine to become as good as I possibly can be and perhaps be the world number one one day.
“When you see guys you play alongside week in and week out achieving their dreams and being the best player on the planet, I think you’ve got to believe you can do the same thing.”
While the Kaymer-McDowell duel was over in all but name prior to yesterday’s final round, the battle for honours in the tournament itself proved as transient as the desert sands with no fewer than half a dozen players in the mix down the home stretch.
Karlsson and Poulter – both on 14-under-par 274 – finished a stroke ahead of defending champion Westwood, who failed to birdie the par five finishing hole, and Spain’s big-hitting Alvaro Quiros in tied-third with Rory McIlroy a shot further back in fifth.
Karlsson, who had trailed overnight leader Poulter by three shots heading into the final round birdied each of the opening two holes, before holing out with his eight-iron approach on the third for an eagle two. “I actually missed it slightly right, but it just sort of popped over the hill and, you know what, it starts running towards the hole,” he recalled.
After that, Karlsson suffered three three-putts in the next four holes before steadying himself and a bogey-free back nine, which featured three birdies including one on the 18th, got him to the recorder’s hut on 14-under. With Poulter still out on the course on the same mark, Karlsson hit the driving range to wait and to listen. But there would be no roars from the crowds, as Poulter failed to muster a birdie on the way in – and, then, after both birdied the 18th at the first time of asking in the play-off, Karlsson’s birdie, from four feet, was sufficient to land him the title after Poulter’s penalty stroke left him with a bogey.
