Faltering finish mars Tiger's final-round charge

DUBAI (Reuters) -- Tiger Woods lost momentum over the final holes after mounting a last-day charge in the Dubai Desert Classic on Sunday, finishing five strokes behind winner Mark O'Meara.

The world number one, chasing a second title in successive weeks, bogeyed 14 and 17 before a birdie at the last left him with a four-under-par 68.

"Overall it was a decent week," the 28-year-old American told reporters after tying for fifth at 12-under 276. "I had only five holes where I dropped shots - and, for a week, that's not bad.

"I just didn't make enough birdies to win the tournament.

"The way the golf course was playing, it was hard to make birdies and very easy to make pars. With Mark being out in front, all he had to do was to make pars to stay ahead."

The eight-times major champion, winner of the WGC-World Match Play Championship in California a week ago, added he was delighted to post his fifth top-10 finish of the season in five starts.

"That's very good and hopefully I can continue playing that way," said Woods, who will play at this month's Bay Hill Invitational and the Players' Championship before heading off to Augusta in early April for the U.S. Masters.

He had gone into the closing round six strokes off the lead with the promise to "put some heat" on joint overnight pacesetters O'Meara and Paul McGinley. Initially, he delivered.

FIRST BIRDIE

At the par-four second, he hit his approach to four feet for his first birdie of the day and picked up another shot at the par-five third, holing a 12-foot putt from just off the edge of the green after a poor chip.

As the temperatures soared at Emirates Golf Club, he rolled in another birdie putt at the 436-yard fifth before parring the next four holes to reach the turn in three-under 32.

After a calm morning, the breeze picked up a little in the afternoon and Woods rifled his approach into the par-five 10th to within 10 feet of the pin, setting up an eagle-three that took him to 13 under and within three of the lead.

Woods then narrowly missed holing a birdie putt from 15 feet at the par-four 11th before losing momentum.

He bogeyed the par-four 14th, after failing to get up and down from a greenside bunker, and also dropped at the 17th, where he pulled a massive drive into the left bunker.

After reaching the back of the green in two at the par-five 18th, he chipped up and holed a 15-foot birdie putt to finish in style.

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