Spain's Alvaro Quiros wins in Dubai as "big" boys falter..

On another windy day in Dubai, golf's longest hitter Alvaro Quiros continued his fine form, posting a -4 68 -11 total to win his 5th European tour title.

He was T23rd in the Abu Dhabi , T8 in the Volvo Golf Champions, 2nd at the Qatar Masters and now first in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.


On a day where all eyes were on Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood and the pairing of Garcia and Woods it was Quiros who recorded a hole in one at the 11th just after taking a triple bogey 7 at the 8th when he was 3 shots ahead, who posted his score of -11 then watched to see if it would hold up as Anders Hansen came down the 18th behind him, and it did as Hansen needing birdie could only make par.

Folks he was out in 33 with that triple on his card.  He eagled the 2nd when he holed his approach, then added 3 birdies, then came the ace on the 11th  on his way to 35 coming home..

Denmark's Anders Hansen 70 and South African James Kingston 67 were second at -10

Meanwhile the big names all faded. Tiger finished with a double-bogey seven at 18 when he dumped his 3rd into the pond for a 75 and T20 along with Sergio Garcia 75 who had a triple of his own at 9  while 3 round  leader Rory McIlroy 74 ended up T10 and World #1 Lee Westwood who dropped at least 3 shots with his 6,6 finish was at 72 good for T15.

1 QUIROS, Alvaro -11 18 -4 73 68 68 68 277

T2 KINGSTON, James -10 18 -5 72 72 67 67 278
T2 HANSEN, Anders -10 18 -2 69 68 71 70 278

T4 STRANGE, Scott -9 18 -4 72 72 67 68 279
T4 GONNET, Jean-Baptiste -9 18 -2 68 69 72 70 279
T4 VELASCO, Alvaro -9 18 -2 74 70 65 70 279

T7 ANDERSSON HED, Fredrik -8 18 -1 69 71 69 71 280
T7 AIKEN, Thomas -8 18 Par 67 67 74 72 280

9 HANSON, Peter -7 18 -2 69 69 73 70 281

T10 WOOD, Chris -6 18 -3 71 72 70 69 282
T10 DREDGE, Bradley -6 18 -3 70 72 71 69 282
T10 FISHER, Ross -6 18 -2 73 69 70 70 282
T10 GALLACHER, Stephen -6 18 Par 70 69 71 72 282
T10 MCILROY, Rory -6 18 +2 65 68 75 74 282

Next week many of these guys travel to play in New Delhi, India and I must say the expansion of this tour as they finish their 4 week swing through the middle east is amazing. When I watch the crowded skyline of Dubai behind the clubhouse,I remember when they started playing here in 1989, there was nothing there but desert sand !!
Bryan Angus