DOHA – Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn reaped the reward for three rounds of consistent golf when he won the 2.5-million-dollar Qatar Masters by four shots from Spain’s Alvaro Quiros at Doha Golf Club on Sunday. Bjorn posted a 69 in the final round for a total of 14-under-par 274.
It was his second win in the Middle Eastern desert, after his sensational victory over Tiger Woods at the Dubai Desert Classic in 2001. Quiros, who won in Qatar in 2009, suffered the heartbreak of finishing as the runner-up in Qatar for the second straight time, having finished second to Sweden’s Robert Karlsson last year.
Bjorn, who was ahead of Austrian Markus Brier by one shot at the end of round three and five in front of Quiros, recorded 14 straight pars on Sunday before registering his first birdie on the 15th hole. Quiros produced four birdies to overhaul Brier but a bogey on the 17th effectively ended his chances, with Bjorn taking birdies on 16 and 18.
Brier and Rafael Cabrera-Bello of Spain were tied for third a further shot behind.
