Saturday 24 January 2015 16:26, UK
Branden Grace put together a superb back nine as he edged out Marc Warren to collect his second European Tour title of the season at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.
The red-hot South African came home in just 31 blows, including a stunning eagle at the 16th, and he held his nerve to roll in a four-foot putt for a closing birdie that capped a faultless six-under 66 for a winning score of 19 under par.
Grace's victory - his sixth European Tour title - followed his runaway win at the Alfred Dunhill Championship last month, and he has now finished in the top 20 in each of his last six starts.
Warren also hit the birdie trail on the inward stretch, picking up four shots in five holes before his attempt to force a play-off came up agonisingly short as his 25-foot birdie putt at the last slipped past the cup on the right.
A poor start from Bernd Wiesberger ultimately proved costly for the Austrian as he finished two shots adrift of Grace, while Eddie Pepperell also kept a bogey off his card and birdied the final two holes to card a 67 and snatch outright fourth.
Grace had opened with a confident birdie, but he struggled to make anything happen on the greens as he strung together 10 straight pars before breaking the sequence with a welcome birdie at the 12th.
The 26-year-old got another birdie putt to drop at the 14th before he suddenly pulled away from the field with a moment of sheer brilliance at the driveable par-four 16th, where he drilled a driver to five feet and calmly nailed the putt for a two.
Grace two-putted the 17th from 60 feet and was unable to go for the green in two at the par-five last after blocking his drive, but he clipped a pure wedge from the first cut to four feet and the subsequent putt never looked anywhere else but dead centre.
Warren also got off to a great start with two opening birdies, but he gave one back at the fifth and then came to grief at the tough par-three eighth, where his tee shot found water and he ran up a double-bogey five.
Warren bounces back
To his credit, the Scot staged a remarkable comeback as he birdied the next two holes before hauling himself level with Grace on 18 under after sinking his fourth birdie putt in five holes at the 17th.
But Warren was also forced to lay up at the last, and he was unable to match the excellence of Grace's wedge a few moments beforehand as he left himself 20 short of the target and misjudged the amount of break on the putt.
In contrast to the top two, Wiesberger bogeyed the second and third before finding his rhythm and getting both shots back at the fifth and seventh holes.
The Austrian played himself back into contention with three consecutive birdies after the turn, but he was unable to sustain his momentum and a closing birdie capped a creditable 68 which earned him outright third.
Pepperell, who made only four bogeys all week, cruised to the turn in 35 and started the back nine with two birdies in three holes before the putts dried up for the exciting young Englishman.
The 24-year-old did manage to birdie 16 and 18 to return a 68 and clinch fourth ahead of Byeong Hun An, who carded an eagle and six birdies as he matched the earlier 65 of Swede Alex Noren.
French journeyman Gregory Bourdy made a significant early move with six birdies in a sparkling outward 60, but his momentum stalled after the turn as he settled for a 65 and and a share of fifth with An and Emiliano Grillo, who had 16 pars and two birdies in a steady 70.
Meanwhile, world No 2 Henrik Stenson closed with four straight birdies to return a 66 and finish in a tie for 13th on 10 under alongside his Ryder Cup partner Justin Rose, who ended his 250th European Tour appearance with a flawless four-birdie 68.
