Omega Dubai Desert Classic concludes with Rafael Cabrera-Bello on top- Highlights-Last Part
Continued from: Omega Dubai Desert Classic concludes with Rafael Cabrera-Bello on top- Highlights Part-2
Gallacher said, "I would have loved to have made the play-off. But fair play to Rafa, he played well, and 18 under is a good score in these conditions. I struggled a bit off the tee today but I hit a lot of good iron shots and made a few putts at the right time".
"But I had a chance to sort of get into the play-off on the last, so (I’m) just a wee bit disappointed but happy overall," continued the Scot.
Marcel Siem of Germany also played brilliantly in the event, surging to the top on one occasion through the 72-hole stretch.
The young German shot into contention on the very first day of the Dubai Desert Classic, with a blistering seven-under, 65 on the first day.
He was not able to keep up with the pace of the play in the following rounds and settled for an outright fourth, with a one-under, 71 on the final day, his highest round in the four-day event.
Dane Soren Kjeldsen, South African George Coetzee and Scott Jamieson finished for a joint fourth alongside McIlroy.
Martin Kaymer shot back in contention after one of the most embarrassing starts of the season when failed to make the cut at his favourite venue, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.
Winner of the last three of the four events, Kaymer was the hot-favourite of the event in Abu Dhabi where he is often touted as the King of Abu Dhabi.
His earlier victories on the Middle Eastern turf have helped immensely in the later part of the year, strengthening his confidence to land more titles.
After missing the halfway cut in Abu Dhabi for the first time, it will be interesting to see how the rest of the season unfolds for the world number four.
Kaymer has already blamed his short game for the loss before the start of his bid in Dubai and disclosed that he has been practicing to improve it heading into the star-studded event.
He opened up the Dubai event with a six-under, 66 and clinched the lead on the second day with another impressive five-under, 67, sharing the top spot with McIlroy.
His lead disappeared on the third day, as he was only able to card a humble two-under and finally succumbed to an over-par, 74 on the final day to settle for a joint 13th.
His biggest loss of the day came at par-three, 15th where he dropped the shot twice to fall back.
The European Tour has now concluded its Middle Eastern tourneys with three events in Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Dubai.
It will now head back to continental Europe for the rest of the events on the calendar.
The tour will return to Middle East at the closing sessions of the calendar, with the Dubai World Golf Championship and a few other events.
World number one Luke Donald is likely to return in the next event, reinforcing the European supremacy on the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR).
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