Chris Wood wins Qatar Masters golf

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DOHA, Qatar, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Chris Wood dropped in an 8-foot eagle putt on the final hole Saturday and won the European Tour's Commercial Bank Qatar Masters by one stroke.

Wood was up by three going into Saturday's final round but staggered early and was two strokes behind at one point. However, he was 5-under in his final 11 holes and that allowed him to finish with a 3-under-par 69 and 72-hole total of 18-under 270.

Fourth-round pressure came from George Coetzee and Sergio Garcia, who tied for second at 17-under. Coetzee also had an eagle -- at the 10th -- to go with six birdies and a bogey for a 7-under 65 Saturday. Garcia's closing round included seven borides -- five in the final nine holes -- and one bogey for a 66.

It nearly turned out to be a "might-have-been" tournament for Wood. With the healthy third-round lead, he started Saturday with a miss of a 3-foot putt for birdie on the second hole and put up a 5 on the par-3 third. He had a birdie at No. 5 but gave that back with a sixth-hole bogey.

Wood posted back-to-back birdies at eight and nine and another at 14, which kept him close to Coetzee and Garcia.

Coetzee finished first with birdies at 16 and 18 and Garcia pulled into a tie with birdies at 17 and 18. Those left Wood one stroke back going into the final hole -- a 589-yard, par 5.

Wood's second shot was a 5-iron from about 205 yards. The shot stopped 8 feet short and he made the putt for the tournament title.

It was the first European Tour win for Wood, who claimed the OneAsia Tour's Thailand Open last August.