Tiger finishes strong at Emirates Golf Club

Tiger Woods closed with a 1-under-par 71 on Sunday in the final round of the $2.5 million Omega Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club in the United Arab Emirates. A two-time winner of the European Tour event, he posted four birdies and three bogeys to finish tied for 41st place with a 72-hole score of 6-under 282.

“Unfortunately, I turned it around too late,” Woods said afterward.

An early starter with Pablo Larrazabal, Tiger began the last round 11 strokes off the lead. Woods parred the first seven holes, then bogeyed the par-4 eighth, missing a five-foot putt. He parred the ninth hole to make the turn in 1-over 36.

Moving to the scoring-friendly back nine, Tiger finally broke through with a birdie at the par-5 10th. He reached the green in two with an iron and just missed a 30-foot eagle putt, the ball catching part of the cup.

Woods followed with pars at 11, 12 and 13. At the par-4 14th, he sustained his second bogey of the round. Tiger also bogeyed the par-3 15th, finding a greenside bunker and then lipping out his par attempt.

At the par-4 16th, Woods fought back with a birdie. He added another at the 325-yard, par-4 17th, where his drive nicked a palm tree just left of the green. Tiger was fortunate to have a swing next to the tree and made the most of the good break, lofting a lovely sand wedge about three feet from the pin.

Woods tallied his third-consecutive birdie at the par-5 18th hole. After finding the fairway off the tee, he ripped a fairway wood over water to the back portion of the green and two-putted from approximately 50 feet.

“I’m pleased because it’s progressing slowly,” Tiger said of his game. “Unfortunately I’d like to have it come a little quicker but I’m going to have some ups and downs. I’m going to have some bumps in the road.”

Tiger will make his first visit to India next week to play an 18-hole exhibition match on Tuesday against Pawan Munjai, CEO and managing director of the Hero Motor Group at Delhi Golf Club.