Tuesday 13 November 2018 19:44, UK
Henrik Stenson claimed victory in the final Hero Challenge of the year after pipping the in-form Lee Westwood in the final in Dubai.
Stenson's relentless accuracy with his trusty wedge earned him his first win in the competition as he saw off a star-studded field including Ryder Cup team-mates Westwood and Tommy Fleetwood, as well as Masters champion Patrick Reed.
The Swede was in a class of his own in the group stage against the clock as his 190 points was comfortably the top score of the six competitors, and he then progressed to the final with a narrow 10-point victory over Fleetwood.
Westwood won his group with 100 points from his 10 shots, and his semi-final against Reed was tied at 55 each before the Englishman advanced in a sudden-death shoot-out against the American.
Stenson carried his consistency into the final and hit the 25-point marker with three of his first four balls, although Westwood endured a huge slice of misfortune with his fourth shot as his ball hit the pin and bounced out of the target.
Armed with a 50-point lead and with one double-scoring ball to play, steady Stenson found the 10-point zone to leave his opponent needing to hit the bullseye to thwart the 2016 Open champion.
But Westwood's straight strike was just a few inches too long to leave Stenson crowned Hero Challenge Dubai champion, guaranteeing him some silverware ahead of the final event of the 2018 European Tour season.
See how Stenson and Westwood fare as the European Tour season concludes at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. Live first-round coverage begins on Thursday at 7am on Sky Sports Golf.
