Lee is at the Emirates Golf Club in Dubai this week, for the 21st Omega Dubai Desert Classic. He has only missed this event once (2002) since he turned professional in 1993. His best finishes in this event were 2nd in 1999 and T4th in 2000. He finished in T39th place last year.
Rory McIlroy is defending champion.
Lee is paired with Oliver Wilson and Henrik Stenson for the first two rounds. Tee-times are 7.55 (GMT +3) from the 10th on Thursday and 12.15 from the 1st on Friday.
Lee posted a first round, level par 72, ending the day T32nd, four shots behind the six-way tie for lead. Lee produced a perfect round of 65 on Friday, with no bogeys. 7-under par left him tying for second place, one shot behind leader Thongchai Jaidee.
Stephen Dodd joined Lee for the third round with a 12.41 start. "I played a few sloppy shots and just ground it out, I made some and missed some putts and 68 seems fair." Lee said after his round, but the four birdies on the back nine lead to a three-way tie for lead on 11-under par.
Lee played in the final match on Sunday (12.47 tee-time) with Alvaro Quiros. He had briefly held a two-shot lead at the 4th, until he made a double-bogey at the 5th. More bogeys followed at the 9th and 12th and it seemed his chance to win the title had gone. Lee birdied 13 to go 10 - under par and saw another birdie chance slip by at 16, when the ball lipped out.
Back-to-back bogeys had halted his playing partner, Quiros' challenge, then Jimenez added a second birdie of the day at the 17th to take the lead at 11-under. Lee aggressively drove the final green to set up his crucial birdie (72), and Lee and Jimenez were set for a play-off.
At the first play-off hole after driving the green over a lake, Lee saw a 10-foot birdie putt for the title, stop on the edge of the cup, while Jimenez battled to save his par after his approach came within an inch of dropping into the water at the front of the green. Jimenez again looked out of the hunt on the second play-off hole after a wayward tee shot, before hitting his third shot into the back bunker, but again Lee's putt for the title was just inches short and Jimenez held his nerve to hole a 12-foot par putt.
At the third play-off hole, the par-four ninth, Lee missed his putt from within six feet and Jimenez successfully putted from four feet in near darkness, claiming a win which would have raised Lee to third in the world.
"The writing was on the wall. Miguel plugs in the front, 99 times out of a 100 that goes back in the water," Lee said. "And he's also one of the best bunker players on tour. He still plays one of his poor bunker shots, but holes out to stay in it. That's one of those things, play-offs can be like that."
Second place earned Lee € 197664.49 in prize money and is now 5th in the Race to Dubai with €297,177.
Checked out the Lee Westwood Golf School website lately?
