Golf: Woods' last-hole blunder hands victory to Bjorn

Thomas Bjorn admitted he could not believe his eyes as Tiger Woods gifted him the Dubai Desert Classic with a last-hole seven.

Woods is still looking for his first win of the year after a nightmare finish which was as dramatic as it was unexpected.

Woods looked favourite for the £166,660 title as he and Bjorn approached the 547-yard final hole.

But he carved his drive into the trees, then went across the fairway into rough the other side and from there hit a 150-yard nine-iron short of the green - in water.

"I couldn't believe what I was watching," said Bjorn, who calmly made his par five to pick up a crown which meant so much to him. For the last three years Dubai has been his winter base.

The 30-year-old became only the fourth player to give Woods a lead going into the final day and beat him - and even more impressive was that he went head-to-head with him on all four days and came out on top.

"Not many have done that either," he said with a huge smile, knowing that the victory is a huge step towards regaining his Ryder Cup place later in the year.

Woods kept his comments short before setting off on the long journey back home, where he will make sure his mind looks ahead to the Masters next month - his attempt to hold all four majors at the same time - rather than back.

"I didn't hit the proper tee shot at the 18th," he said. "I hit a pretty good third shot, but I was protecting against a flyer - and I didn't get it.

"I had an opportunity, but I just made a couple of mistakes which cost me. I didn't feel as comfortable as I needed to with my swing and my putting stroke, but hats off to Thomas.

"He played well and he deserves the title. He played really solid all day."

Bjorn's closing 69 to Woods' level-par 72 meant he finished with a tournament record total of 266, 22 under.

The double bogey seven meant that Woods, rumoured to have been paid in excess of £1.5m to appear in the event and four clear after seven holes of the third round, did not even take second place on his own.

He had to share that with Dubliner Padraig Harrington, who had been joint leader himself entering the back nine, but made costly bogeys at the 12th and 15th.

Ian Woosnam was only one behind with eight to play, but he bogeyed the 15th and 16th and in the end finished joint fourth with Swede Mathias Gronberg.