MARC Warren fell just short with a spirited bid to land the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters title, losing out to South African Branden Grace at the final hole.
Warren, who missed the cut in Abu Dhabi last week, fought his way back into contention with a superb five-under-par back nine, after an inconsistent front nine which yielded a bogey and double- bogey alongside three birdies.
The pair were tied at 18 under par as they approached the 18th tee, but Grace held his nerve to claim a birdie while Warren could only salvage par after his wayward tee shot failed to find the fairway.
That meant Grace finished on a 19-under aggregate total of 269 after a bogey-free final-round 66, with the Scot second, one shot back after a 67. Austria's Bernd Wiesberger (68) came third on 17 under.
Grace and Warren started the day in a four-way tie for the lead with Argentina's Emiliano Grillo and Wiesberger, but a host of other players also mounted challenges on a dramatic last day at Doha Golf Club.
Warren, who picks up prize money of €235,502 that puts him seventh in the Race to Dubai, was first to show his hand. He birdied the first from 10ft and second from 15ft, but his challenge stalled when he double- bogeyed the short eighth after his tee shot found the water.
Wiesberger had got off to a poor start with bogeys at the second and third, but holed birdie efforts at the fifth and seventh and headed for home with three straight gains to take control of the tournament.
France's Gregory Bourdy went out in a six-under 30, but his title bid ended when he failed to get up-and-down on the 15th, while Korea's Byeong-hun An also shot 65, and might have caused a few nerves to jangle among those in the groups behind him had his birdie putt at the last not lipped out.
Warren recovered with birdies at the ninth and 10th, while Grace went 10 holes without a birdie before holing from 10ft at the 12th.
Grace gave a fist pump after converting from 15ft at the 14th, but Warren again dug deep with gains of his own at the 13th and 14th to remain firmly in contention.
A moment of magic by Grace at 16, a drive to five feet on the par-4 16th setting up an eagle, looked to have been enough, but Warren produced a birdie and holed an eight footer at the short next after a brilliant tee shot. However, he could not match Grace's birdie at the last after the South African pitched to three feet.
For Grace, it was a sixth career title and second in four starts this season, having already won the Alfred Dunhill Championship on home soil last month.
The 26-year-old said: "It was a great day, a great week, and it's another trophy to put in the cupboard. I'm going to thank Callaway again, that driver again on 16 to four feet; without that it wouldn't be possible.
"The form has been there. I played great and I managed to get in on top."
England's Eddie Pepperell was fourth on 16 under after a 67. World No 2 Henrik Stenson finished down the field in a six-way tie for 13th on 10 under par with England's Justin Rose and Belgium's Nicolas Colsaerts.
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