By the time Sunday rolled around at the Emirates Golf Club, Sergio Garcia and Henrik Stenson made the crowds forget that Tiger Woods took his seven-figure appearance fee and went home early.
Garcia dueled Stenson for four days and with a closing 69, won the Dubai Desert Classic, putting up a 19-under par total.
Garcia, at age 37, has been a pro for 18 years and he now has an even dozen victories on the European Tour. “It’s a great start to the year,” Garcia said as he collected the giant coffee pot trophy. “Henrik is always there so you’ve got to stay calm and collected.”
Sergio stayed that way for all four days. He opened with a 65 and never looked back, beating Stenson by three shots. Stenson finished with his own 69 and was 16-under par.
For Garcia, it was his first European win since the 2014 Qatar Masters.
American Peter Uihlein finished 12-under par and tied for fifth with England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick.
