(Adds details)
* World number 119 wins second European Tour title
* Overnight leader Westwood finishes one shot behind
* McIlroy challenge fades as Ulsterman ends joint fifth
DUBAI, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Rafael Cabrera-Bello was the
surprise winner of the Dubai Desert Classic on Sunday after
sinking a nerveless birdie on the 17th hole to end on 18 under
par and beat Lee Westwood and Scottish veteran Stephen Gallacher
by a single shot.
The unfancied Spaniard, 27, had started the day one stroke
behind overnight leader Westwood, but made three birdies on the
back nine to clinch his second European Tour title, belying his
lowly world ranking of 119.
Westwood had teed off last along with Gallacher, 37, while
Cabrera-Bello was one hole ahead.
The amiable Spaniard, who had shot a blistering nine-under
63 in the opening round, retook the lead on the final day with
successive birdies on the 11th and 12th holes, but on the 13th
Gallacher sank an eagle and Westwood a birdie to join him on 17
under.
The trio remained tied until Cabrera-Bello's decisive putt
on 17. One hole earlier, the Spaniard had scrambled for par
after shanking his tee shot into the trees, his ball ending in
the sandy void between the fairways, while Westwood would rue a
missed birdie chance on 16th, his nine-foot effort stopping
short.
CLUMSY CHIP
The world number three was also found wanting on the 17th,
rolling a seven-foot birdie putt inches wide, while
Cabrera-Bello was on the par-five 18th.
His final tee shot missed the fairway, but he reached the
green edge for three and eventually putted for par.
That meant Westwood, 38, and Gallacher needed to make
birdies on the final hole to force a play-off. Westwood's second
shot left him just off the green, but he then played a clumsy
chip that stopped 20 feet from the pin.
Now needing to putt to stay in the tournament, the
Englishman's final effort drifted left, while Gallacher fluffed
a 12-foot birdie chance, handing Cabrera-Bello the title.
He became the third Spaniard in a row to hold the title
after Miguel Jimenez and Alvaro Quiros had triumphed in 2010 and
2011.
Westwood had started the day on 15 under, one shot ahead,
while Ulsterman Rory McIlroy and Germany's Martin Kaymer, who
sandwich him in the world rankings, were two strokes behind.
The two Britons had wanted tougher conditions to make the
Majlis course bare its teeth following a birdie bonanza on the
tranquil opening two days and they got their wish on the final
round as swirling gusts of wind buffeted the fairways.
That made for a tougher day around the 7,344-yard course and
the leaderboard saw little movement as the final round
progressed.
Westwood rolled in a 35-foot eagle putt from the fairway on
the second hole, but bogeyed the fifth after fading his tee shot
into the rough to go into the back nine one shot ahead.
McIlroy, the leader after two rounds, was three over for the
day after the front nine, picking up four birdies on the final
nine holes to end on 14 under in joint fifth.
Kaymer struggled, shooting two over for the day to slip off
the leaderboard.
(Editing by Clare Fallon. To comment on this story email
sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com; )
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