Sunday, 2 February 2014

OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic Final Round




0808 - Good morning and welcome to the final round of the 25th anniversary edition of the OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic. The leaders tee off in 35 minutes.

0817 - Has it really been FIVE years since Rory won his first tournament? He could make it number 11 today.

0825 - Tiger Woods is limping home, level par and NINE behind.

0840 - Rory McIlroy and Stephen Gallacher about to make their way to the first tee.

0845 - Rory rips his drive down the middle, its a snap hook for Gallacher.

0852 - Gallacher in the deep stuff, has no option but to chip out sideways, Rory has 103 yards.

0900 - Bogey for Gallacher at the first reduces his advantage to one over Rory McIlroy, who made par.

0907 - Rory almost drives the second, comes up short in the rough but no trouble there but for Stephen Gallacher it is another snapper and we could have a huge change soon.

0911 - Gallacher deliberating over drop, this could be a disastrous start for the Scot. He finds the green with his third.

0914 - clumsy chip from Rory.

0915 - Gallacher lips out and Rory has a putt to lead alone. Rory misses and Gallacher makes and the two are tied for the lead at -14 through the first two holes.

0921 - Gallacher pulls his drive off the third tee and it is a real struggle for the Scot, Rory finds right rough.

0926 - Both Gallacher and Rory pull their second shots at the par five. 

0928 -  Delightful pitch from Rory, poor effort from Gallacher, the Scot makes par but Rory has a putt to lead.


0931 - Poor stroke from Rory and we are still tied, Paul Casey now just two shots back after a fifth birdie of the day at 10.

0933 - Rory has another chance at 4, Gallacher outside him on the par 3.

0942 - Pars at the 4th, while American Brooks Koepka birdies the fifth to tie for the lead and two shots cover 8 players

0945 - Rory on the 5th in two, birdie putt on the par four. Gallacher long and left.

0950 - Pars at the 5th.

1000 - McIlroy gets a hard bounce with his second to the sixth and is in the rough through the green.

1001 - Gallacher has over twenty feet to save par at 6, Rory makes par and the Scot needs this one badly.

1005 - Bogey for the Scot, Rory leads alone..... but at the 7th he finds the water on the par three DRAMA. Gallacher finds the green.

1008 - This could be quite some finish, magnificent recovery for Rory at 7 saves bogey and falls into tie with Gallacher, Olesen and Koepka. Casey just one back.

1013 - Brooks Koepka rolls a huge putt in at 8 and he leads alone. Gallacher is left again on 8. Rory clearly unhappy with JP as he narrowly misses the fairway.

1019 - Rory finds 8th green from 181 yards out of the rough and Gallacher is short. 

1022 - Rory narrowly misses his birdie at 8 remains -13, Koepka in trouble at nine. Another bogey for Gallacher and he falls to -12.


1032 - Rory has birdie putt to tie Koepka at 9. The final nine holes promise much drama.

1036 - terrible effort from Rory at nine, Gallacher also makes par.

1047 - Rory pushes his tee shot at 10, blocked out by a tree, he isn't playing well enough to win this now.

1049 - A big pull from Koepka at the 11th and he finds sand on the par three. Course running fast and hard, pins in hard places and a slight drizzle in the air, and everyone is playing pretty poorly including the world number six Rory McIlroy who makes a complete mess of his recovery on a hole he must birdie.

1054 - McIlroy finds sand again with his third shot and makes a dismal bogey, a truly awful performance from Rory, not looked like making a birdie and making a bogey on a hole he has eaten up all week.

1104 - What a finish we are in for, the golf is truly wretched but the drama is unmatchable!

1104 - Stephen Gallacher holes a 12 footer and remarkably ties for the lead at 13-under!

1105 - Rory follows him in and we now have a four way tie for the lead. The pair miss the 12th fairway with Gallacher going left and Rory going right.

1109 - 18 players within 2 shots of the lead, a remarkable finish in store in Dubai.

1115 - Rory wanted a drop from near a sprinkler head on 12 but is denied, he comes up 6 feet short with his chip and his struggles continue.

1117 - Rory misses and makes bogey at 12, a poor performance and a real let down considering his start this week, 1 behind but might as well be 10 behind the way he is playing.

1120 - Rory pulls his drive at 13 and has to pitch out sideways, a really awful performance from McIlroy and he fails to get out of the sand and my goodness this tournament is slipping away faster than his beloved Manchester United's title hopes.

1132 - Rory bogeys the 13th, Gallacher makes birdie and somehow the Scot leads alone again, Rory is surely finished.

1134 - "The greens are like you see in Major Championships" Paul Casey said with a smile on his face when he was interviewed after a round of 67.

1140 - Rory long and left on 14, it must be one of the worst rounds he has ever played as a professional in every facet of the game, a stunningly bad performance.

1141 - Chance for Gallacher to open up a two-shot lead with birdie at 14.

1144 - Gallacher misses, McIlroy makes his par.

1145 - Romain Wattel of France, finds the 18th in two and has a putt to post -15, a two-putt would see him reach -14 and end the hopes of Ilonen.

1149 - Gallacher finds the waste area left of the par three 15th and Rory goes long, both struggling but Gallacher can still win this, Rory is toast.

1154 - Both make par at 15.

1155 - Romain Wattel birdies the 18th to shoot 66 and post -14 ending Mikko Ilonen's hopes.

1158 - Emiliano Grillo makes the most amazing eagle of all-time with his second shot smashing against the hospitality units and he holes a putt from downtown Dubai to post -15. Outrageous.

1202 - Birdie chances for McIlroy and Gallacher at 16.

1205 - McIlroy misses, Gallacher makes and the Scot ties Grillo for the lead at -15 with 17 and 18 to play.

1214 - Massive wait for Gallacher and McIlroy at 17, McIlroy needs eagles at both 17 and 18 to have any chance and that is if Gallacher goes par-par.

1216 - Gallacher's tee shot on the 17th finds the greenside rough and McIlroy follows him, a day to forget for the 2009 Champion - Scotland's Gallacher is 2 holes from Dubai glory for the second successive year.

1220 - Gallacher plays a superb chip on 17 and makes birdie to take the sole lead with just 18 to play, magnificent comeback.

1225 - Gallacher finds the centre of the fairway, a long way back though.

1230 - Gallacher chooses to lay up. Down in 3 shots from there will see him win the title.

1232 - Incredible finish, Gallacher's approach spins back violently and almost goes in the hole and then just misses the water. 2 putts for victory and history for Stephen Gallacher.

1236 - McIlroy lips out and he ends the tournament 4 behind.

1237 - Stephen Gallacher wins the 2014 Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

1238 - Par at the 72nd hole sees him shoot 72 and card a total of 272 for the four rounds and remarkably after going out in 39 he comes home in 33 to become the first man ever to defend the OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic, on its 25th anniversary.

1240 - Catch my full review of the final day later today on www.HooperstarGolfer.co.uk and join me later for live coverage of the final round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open.






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