Dubai - Spaniard Alvaro Quiros holed a 40-foot eagle putt on the 18th to clinch a two-shot win over 1999 British Open champion Paul Lawrie at the Dubai World Championship on Sunday as No. 1-ranked Luke Donald became the first golfer in history to win both the American and European money titles.
The 34-year-old Donald, who won the American title earlier this year, had to finish better than ninth or hope his only rival Rory McIlroy didn't win the tournament. He finished third while McIIroy, who has struggled with a lingering virus all week, finished with a 9-under 279 and a tie for 11th in the tournament. That left McIlroy more than €1 million ($1.34 million) behind Donald in the money race.
Quiros finished with a 19-under total of 269 on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates. Donald was three shots behind after he ran off three birdies in a row for a 6-under 66. Peter Hanson of Sweden was fourth, a further two shots back, and Masters champion Charl Schwartzel was in fifth a further shot behind.
The big-hitting Quiros came into the final day with a two-shot lead but squandered it after he had three bogeys on the front nine to go with five birdies. Lawrie, who led after the first day, took the lead after he notched five birdies in his first eight holes.
But Lawrie bogeyed the 12th after an approach shot missed the green and Quiros then birdied the 14th to take the lead for good. Lawrie's short game continued to haunt him when an errant chip on 16 cost him a birdie chance. Then, the 42-year-old Lawrie missed a 6-foot birdie putt at the 17th that would have tied it.
Quiros managed to reach the 18th green in two while Lawrie was there in three. Rather than play it safe, Quiros clinched the win with a 40-foot eagle putt. The Spaniard pumped his fist as the crowd cheered.
The win was just Quiros's second this year on the tour - after the Dubai Desert Classic - and sixth overall on the tour.
Leading final-round scores from the Dubai World Championship at the par-72 course on Sunday:
269 - Alvaro Quiros (ESP) 68-64-70-67
271 - Paul Lawrie (SCO) 65-73-66-67
272 - Luke Donald (ENG) 72-68-66-66
274 - Peter Hanson (SWE) 64-72-71-67
275 - Charl Schwartzel (RSA) 69-71-68-67
276 - Louis Ooshuizen (RSA) 72-67-66-71, Francesco Molinari (ITA) 71-68-68-69
277 - Robert Rock (ENG) 68-69-71-69, Shane Lowry (IRL) 69-70-68-70,
278 - Pablo Larrazabal (ESP) 71-68-70-69
279 - Graeme McDowell (NIR) 71-71-71-66, Robert Karlsson (SWE) 73-72-68-66, Rory McIlroy (NIR) 66-71-71-71, Sergio Garcia (ESP) 67-73-68-71, Martin Kaymer (GER) 73-71-64-71
280 - Johan Edfors (SWE) 72-68-72-68, David Lynn (ENG) 69-72-70-69, Paul Casey (ENG) 72-66-70-72
282 - Fredrik Anderson-Hed (SWE) 75-66-72-69, Thorbjorn Olesen (DEN) 70-73-70-69, Nicolas Colsaerts (BEL) 72-74-67-69
283 - Otto Hennie (RSA) 70-75-71-67, George Coetzee (RSA) 74-73-69-67, Jaco van Zyl (RSA) 69-70-70-72, Ian Poulter (ENG) 73-69-68-73
284 - Thomas Aiken (RSA) 69-73-75-67, Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP) 72-70-74-68, Jamie Donaldson (WAL) 75-69-69-71
285 - Thomas Bjorn (DEN) 73-70-70-71, Gregory Bourdy (FRA) 70-73-70-71, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (ESP) 70-71-72-72, Edoardo Molinari (ITA) 71-73-68-73, Lee Westwood (ENG) 73-69-69-74
286 - Mark Foster (ENG) 76-71-70-69, Ernie Els (RSA) 74-69-73-70, Matteo Manassero (ITA) 75-68-72-73
287 - Retief Goosen (RSA) 74-69-75-69, Lorenzo Gagli (ITA) 72-71-73-71, Felipe Aguilar (CHI) 70-77-68-72, David Horsey (ENG) 69-72-73-73, Alexander Noren (SWE) 70-72-70-75