Rafael Cabrera-Bello produced a nerveless final round performance to claim the biggest win of his career at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.
One behind Lee Westwood overnight, the 27 year old Spaniard – whose only previous European Tour victory came at the 2009 Austrian Golf Open – carded a bogey free 68 to reach 18 under and triumph by a solitary stroke. Three of Cabrera-Bello’s birdies, including a crucial three on the 17th, came on the back nine as his rivals struggled to make headway in breezy conditions.
Westwood, who had led by two strokes this morning following a superb eagle at the second but struggled to find his best form on the greens, and Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher shared second place after respective rounds of 70 and 69. Both men missed putts to force a play-off on the 18th. Westwood has now finished as runner-up in this event on three occasions, yet he does have the small consolation of taking the World Number Two spot back off Rory McIlroy – by 0.004 ranking points.
Cabrera-Bello, the first round leader courtesy of a scintillating 63, becomes the third Spaniard in succession to have triumphed in Dubai, following Miguel Angel Jiménez in 2010 and Alvaro Quiros in 2011.
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