Golf story by Dominic Taylor, Mon, 06 Feb 2006 15:28:00 GMT


DUBAI - Tiger Woods bailed out of a tight place for the second time this year before going on to win the Dubai Desert Classic yesterday. Woods forced a playoff against Ernie Els, the defending champion. Woods had also won the Buick Invitational after a play off.

In the par-5 18th hole in the playoff, Woods sent his shot just over the green and Els hit his shot in a grove of palm trees before putting it into the water protecting the green. Els then missed a 20-foot par putt and that was enough for Woods to grab the initiative as well as the win. "Somehow I got lucky," Woods admitted.

"Today it was very fortunate because I didn't really have it, but the other guys didn't run away, either." Yesterday's win gave Woods his 57th title worldwide with 47of those coming on the PGA Tour. He also picked up the winning cheque of $400,000, in addition to an appearance fee of $3 million.

Woods who took a six-week vacation did not show any rustiness during this win. "My list of things I need to work on is a lot shorter than it was last year at this time, which is great. So looking toward Augusta, I don't have a big laundry list of things I need to work on. I just need to refine things and hope I get dialed in," he said.

Els, a three-time winner at Dubai said that he was happy to have come this far, "I can't complain. To come as close as I did after all the hassle I've had with my leg is fine." Woods will now play the Nissan Open, WGC-Accenture Match Play and the Ford Championship before the Augusta Masters.

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