Dutch hopeful Joost Luiten right there in the mix
At 11.30 hours local time in Holland on Sunday, our Dutch hero’s wheels were coming off in Dubai. Joost Luiten had started his final round in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic (4-7 February) in fourth position on 13-under par, just three off the pace set by Englishman Danny Willett. After eight holes, he had slipped back to 12-under par at the Emirates Golf Club for a tie of 12th spot. Two bogeys, at the 6th and the 8th, had taken their toll, effectively eliminating his early birdie at the third. Holland was hoping that he had had his bogey quota for the week: a bogey at the 10th on day one and two bogeys yesterday (6th and 11th). And now two more. The player from Rotterdam had some serious birdies to shoot on the back nine.
But there was no need to panic. After all, he had notched-up seven birdies in round three along with two bogeys for a round of 67. Everything was still possible. Indeed, Joost then managed to steady the boat with back-to-back birdies on 9 and 10 and looked on-course again. Alas, he finished with eight straight pars to card a disappointing 1-under par 71. With a score of 14-under for the tournament (69-67-67-71), he had to settle for a share of 8th place with seven other players including Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen.
Willett stays cool and matches birdie blitz on final hole
Dutch hopes aside, it was a thrilling final day in the Dubai Desert Classic which looked certain to climax in a play-off with two Brits, Andy Sullivan and Danny Willett, and the 2012 winner Rafa Cabrera-Bello from Spain. In the last but one pairing, it was Joost’s playing partner, Sullivan who took the clubhouse lead on 18-under after holing a nerves-of-steel 12-footer for birdie at the 564-yard, par 5, 18th.
The Spaniard, however, had his own ideas as to who was going to lift the magnificent trophy. He had just holed-out for birdie on 17 to get to 17-under which he followed with another solid birdie on the last to shoot 69 and tie with Sullivan. It was all down to the staying power of the overnight leader, 28-year old Willett. The Englishman was also on 18-under par with one shot in hand. As cool as ice, he stroked his putt into the hole for birdie and outright victory by one shot on 269 (70-65-65-69).
The Omega Dubai Desert Classic is Danny Willett’s fourth victory on the European Tour and earns him more than 400,000 euros. For the first time since he turned pro in 2008 (handicap plus 5), the player from Sheffield now moves into the top-15 of the Official Golf World Rankings (OGWR): 13th. In the “Race to Dubai”, the European Ranking, he is now 3rd.
Whilst it was a disappointing finish for Holland’s number one golfer, who was looking to follow in the footsteps of fellow countryman Robert-Jan Derksen, winner of the 2003 Dubai Desert Classic, it was another tremendous performance by Joost. He put himself in contention for the third tournament in a row. Another top-10 finish has boosted his OGWR to 74th and sees him climb to 17th in the “Race to Dubai”. And, just as importantly, this year, it has earned him more valuable Ryder Cup points.
Wendy Hoad