DUBAI, 7 March 2005 — Ernie Els won an unprecedented third Dubai Desert Classic in dramatic style yesterday, holing an eagle putt from 18 feet at the last for a one-shot victory.

South Africa’s world No. 3, who went into the final round a stroke behind leader Miguel Angel Jimenez, fired a four-under-par 68 to finish at 19-under 269 on a sweltering day at the Emirates Golf Club.

Jimenez, the European Tour’s form player last year with five victories, had stretched his advantage to two with nine holes remaining but stumbled with a bogey-six at the 13th.

Although the pony-tailed Spaniard recovered with his fourth birdie of the day on 16, he wasted a chance to force a playoff when he missed an eight-foot birdie putt at the par-five 18th.

A closing 70 left him in a tie for second at 18 under with Britain’s Stephen Dodd, who birdied three of the last nine holes on his way to a blemish-free 66.

Seven-times European number one Colin Montgomerie, boosted by a monster birdie putt from 45 feet at the par-three seventh, finished alone in fourth a further two shots back after a 69.

Woods, Mickelson Set for Doral Showdown

In Miami, Florida, Tiger Woods fired a flawless nine-under par 63 to move within two strokes of leader Phil Mickelson at the Doral Open, setting up a mouth-watering showdown to decide a title and the number one ranking.

A controversial pairing at last year’s Ryder Cup, Woods and Mickelson failed to spark the US but the duo can be expected to produce plenty of fireworks at Miami’s Doral Resort on Sunday.

Riding a wave of momentum from back-to-back wins in Phoenix and Pebble Beach, Mickelson began Saturday with a two-shot lead over Billy Andrade and a five-stroke advantage on Woods. Mickelson needed all of his overnight lead to hold off a hard-charging Woods, who scorched the Blue Monster for birdies on eight of his final 12 holes to rocket up the leaderboard and sit two back at 18-under-par 198.

“I played really well today,” beamed Woods, adding that he had promised his father he would shoot the low round for him on his birthday.

“It looks like I’m going to have to shoot another low one tomorrow.

“Phil is playing great golf, since the end of last year he’s been playing some beautiful golf, so I’m going to have to go out there and shoot a nice solid number.”

Woods’s charge overshadowed another solid afternoon from Mickelson, who shot a six-under 66 to complete 54 holes on 20-under-par 196.

It marked the 10th consecutive round that the US Masters champion has owned or shared the lead in a strokeplay event.

“It should be a fun day,” Mickelson said, looking forward to Sunday’s pairing.

Kerr Leads, Sorenstam Three Back at MasterCard Classic

In Huixquilucan, Mexico, Annika Sorenstam shot a 1-under 71 Saturday, to move within three strokes of leader Cristie Kerr after two rounds of the MasterCard Classic.

“I’m not too far behind,” said Sorenstam, the Swede who led the tour with eight victories last year. “I’m in a position where I have a chance tomorrow and that’s really what matters.”

Sorenstam was 3 under through 14, but double-bogeyed 15 to eventually drop to fourth at 141.

“It’s maybe not exactly where I want to be,” Sorenstam said. But she added that said she has come back to win in the past “from many more shots behind.”

Kerr, who finished second last week at the SBS Open in Hawaii, took the lead after sinking six birdies Saturday _ four of them on the back nine. She also had a pair of bogeys to move to 6-under 138.

The Miami native said she had a secret system for adjusting her shots to the high-altitude at the Bosque Real Country Club in Huixquilucan, on a hill overlooking 2,255-meter (7,400-foot) high Mexico City.

“We have a little system. I am not really going to get into it because it is like my little system,” Kerr said. “But we pretty much know what the yardages are playing and we judge accordingly.”