Golf: England's Willett wins Dubai Desert Classic

Danny Willett of England celebrating after winning the Dubai Desert Classic, on Feb 7, 2016. PHOTO: REUTERS

DUBAI (AFP) - England's Danny Willett made a pressure-packed 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to win the Dubai Desert Classic by one shot over England's Andy Sullivan and Spain's Rafael Cabrera-Bello.

At Emirates Golf Club on Sunday, overnight leader Willett shot a three-under par 69 to finish on 19-under par 269.

Sullivan, who finished second in Dubai less than three months ago to Rory McIlroy in the DP World Tour Championship, closed with a 68, while Cabrera-Bello (69) notched up his second successive runners-up finish after Doha the week before. They were tied at 270.

The win is expected to move Willett into the top-15 of the world rankings for the first time in his career.

World No. 2 Rory McIlroy finished with a seven-under par 65 round, but that was good only for tied sixth place at 15-under par 273, alongside world No. 6 Henrik Stenson (66).

Spain's Alvaro Quiros and South Korea's Byeong Hun An were tied fourth at 272 with identical rounds of seven-under par 65 each.

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