Spain's Pablo Larrazabal held off major winners Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy by one shot to win the $2.7million ($A3.07 million) Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on Sunday.
Larrazabal's final round 67 left him with a 14-under-par total of 288 to secure the biggest win of his career.
Mickelson, with a fourth round 69, and McIlroy, (68), who was docked two shots for an incorrect drop on Saturday, tied for second on 13-under.
While McIlroy's winning chance appeared to have been scuppered by the rules, Mickelson had only himself to blame for his demise.
The left-handed British Open champion led by one shot only to implode with a triple bogey seven on the 13th after trying to hit a right-handed escape shot from under a bush.
He had a 'double hit' when his ball struck the bush and bounced back on his club, but put that behind him with birdies at the 14th and 16th, only narrowly failing to force a play off.
