Grace wins Qatar Masters

DOHA, QATAR - JANUARY 24: Branden Grace of South Africa with the winners trophy after the final round of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters at the Doha Golf Club on January 24, 2015 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

DOHA, QATAR - JANUARY 24: Branden Grace of South Africa with the winners trophy after the final round of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters at the Doha Golf Club on January 24, 2015 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

Published Jan 24, 2015

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South African Branden Grace became the first player to win multiple events in the 2015 Race to Dubai after he held his nerve to win the Qatar Masters in Doha on Saturday.

Grace fired a bogey-free, six-under-par 66 to finish the tournament on 19-under, one shot clear of Scotland's Marc Warren (67) and two ahead of Austrian Bernd Wiesberger (68).

Tied at 18-under-par as they approached the 18th tee, Grace held his nerve with a birdie while Warren could only salvage par after his wayward tee-shot failed to find the fairway.

“It was a great day, a great week, and it's another trophy to put in the cupboard,” Grace told the europeantour.com.

“The form has been there, I played great and I managed to get in on top.”

Grace, who claimed his sixth career title and second in four starts this season, followed up a first-hole birdie with 10 successive pars before going five-under through the final seven holes.

Having shot birdies on the 12th and 14th, the 26-year-old carded a superb eagle on the 16th after a crushing tee-shot.

A second eagle nearly followed on the 18th but his sublime pitch shot tricked agonisingly wide.

Grace holed the three-foot putt for birdie while Warren failed with his 20-foot effort to force a playoff.

Warren's superb five-under-par back nine had helped him back into contention after an inconsistent front nine which yielded a bogey and double-bogey alongside three birdies.

World number two Henrik Stenson finished on 10-under-par while defending champion Sergio Garcia was well off the pace a further six shots adrift on four-under.

The Race to Dubai is the European Tour's season-long competition spanning 47 tournaments and was won by Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy in 2014. – Reuters

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