Abu Dhabi: Gaganjeet Bhullar was unable to turn on the magic, which brought him into contention on the third, as he slipped to a three-over 75 on the final day and dropped from second position to tied 10th at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship here today.
Bhullar, starting the day at nine-under and playing in the lead group alongside overnight leader Lee Craig and five-time Major winner Phil Mickelson, crumbled with two bogeys on front nine and had two more bogeys on back nine with just one birdie for the entire day on par-3 15th.
He finished at seven-under 279 and tied 10th. Lee, too, collapsed with a 77 and ended in a tie for 10th with the Indian and seven others including Miguel Angel Jimenez (73), Thomas Bjorn (72) and Thongchai Jaidee (73). The star of the day was Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal, who held his nerve on the final green to hold at bay Major Champions Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson here.
McIlroy (68) and Mickelson (69) tied for second at 13-under. Shiv Kapur, who had a off-day yesterday with a 75, atoned for it with a great back nine that was his first nine of the final. He had five birdies against no bogeys but on the second nine he had two each of birdies and bogeys for a 67 but moved from tied 67th to tied 37th at the finish at three-under 285.
Jeev Milkha Singh (72) with four birdies and four bogeys was tied 60th. Larrazabal sank in a five foot birdie putt at the last after leaving his eagle effort well short for a closing five under par 67 and 14 under total. Mickelson, whose challenge seemed in tatters with a triple bogey at the 13th, needed an eagle from the middle of the fairway to get into a play-off. But despite finding the green in two the American was unable to hole his putt from 50 feet.
Starting day three off the lead, Larrazabal birdied the second from eight feet and almost aced the par three fourth. With overnight leader Craig Lee stumbling, the lead switched hands on a regular basis but the 30-year-old Spaniard fell behind the likes of McIlroy and Mickelson with a bogey at the fifth.
He chipped to a foot from the bunker at the eighth and sunk a six footer at the 11th to remain in touch, although Mickelson looked to be in command with three birdies over his first 10 holes. But Mickelson hit a three wood left under a bush on the 13th and decided to try and play back-handed rather than taking a drop. The ball only bobbled up and caught his club on the follow through, and with a penalty drop the World Number Five was left to play his fifth shot to the green before two putting for a triple bogey seven.
That opened the door to the chasing pack, and it was Larrazabal who marched through it with a brilliant pitch to within a foot from the rough at the 13th before firing to the heart of the 18th green in two. A poor first putt created some tension, but Larrazabal converted the second to take his third European Tour title.
McIlroy produced a closing 68 to finish tied for second with Mickelson, who recovered brilliantly to birdie three of his last five holes. George Coetzee and Rafa Cabrera-Bello finished tied for fourth on 12 under, whilst Swedish rookie Johan Carlsson produced the round of the day with a 65 to record a top-10 finish.
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