Tiger Woods won the Dubai Desert Classic Golf Tournament in spectacular fashion over the first weekend in February, 2008. Woods birdied his last two holes and five of the last seven for a 7-under par round of 65. This win was his largest comeback in nearly eight years as he rallied from a four shot deficit to beat Ernie Els and runner up Martin Kaymer.
Martin Kaymer, from Germany, won two weeks ago in Abu Dhabi and closed with his own fantastic round to come in second over Els, who was the leader going into the final day. Els finished with a final round of 71, just one under par, and ended up tied for third with fellow South African Louis Oosthuisen. Other players here included defending champion Henrik Stenson and Sergio Garcia.
This year’s Dubai Desert Classic was held from 29 January to 3 February at the Emirates Golf Club in Dubai. It is part of a trio of events in the Middle East that kick off the European PGA Tour. Of the total $2.5 million USD in prize money, Woods takes home $416,660 for winning.
The Majlis course at Emirates Golf Club was the first grass course in the Middle East, opening in 1988, and takes its name from the Arabic word for meeting place. It first played host to the Desert Classic when it began in 1989 and has hosted it almost every year since then. This year’s tournament brought in over 62,000 fans, a new record turnout. Located on the edge of Dubai, this course draws golfers from all over the world and is considered one of the leading courses in the region and world.