Spaniard Rafael Cabrera-Bello has seen off challengers Lee Westwood and Stephen Gallacher to win the Dubai Desert Classic by one stroke as Australian Brett Rumford found himself nine strokes off the pace.
Overnight leader Westwood and Gallacher both blew chances to force a play-off on the last hole as Cabrera-Bello's bogey-free 68 proved enough to see him claim his second European Tour victory.
The trio were locked on 16-under par with two holes to play but Cabrera-Bello sunk a nine-foot birdie chance on the next hole to take the lead.
Earlier, Westwood rolled in a 35-foot eagle putt on the second to go two clear at the top of the leaderboard and looked on course to win, but his putter deserted him thereafter as he missed several birdie chances, including an eight-foot attempt at the 17th.
Cabrera-Bello, whose only other European Tour victory came at the 2009 Austrian Open, went to the clubhouse with a one-shot lead at 18 under after making three crucial birdies on the back nine.
Westwood found himself greenside for two on the par-five 18th after a superb drive, but his woeful chip left him needing to make a huge birdie putt to draw level.
Westwood missed, as did Gallacher from 15 yards, to the relief of Cabrera-Bello.
German Marcel Siem finished in outright fourth at 15 under after a final round 71, while halfway leader Rory McIlroy faded quickly from the fray with his final round 71.
The Northern Irishman finished in a tie for fifth at 14 under with George Coetzee, Scott Jamieson and Soren Kjeldsen.
Thomas Bjorn finished at 13 under alongside Nicolas Colsaerts and Joel Sjoholm for a tie of ninth, and Frenchman Romain Wattel was on his own at 12 under.
World No.4 Martin Kaymer ended his tournament in disappointment with a two-over 74 dropping him back to equal 13th at 11 under.
Rumford was the best of the Australians, although his one-under 71 on the final day saw him finish on nine-under for the tournament, a long way behind the front runners.
His compatriot Marcus Fraser was another eight strokes further back after a final-round 73.