Casey continued where he left off last season

FINAL LEADERBOARD
(GB&I unless stated):
-17 P Casey
-16 P Hanson (Swe), MA Jiminez (spa), P Hansen (Swe)
-15 C DiMarco (US)
-14 R Goosen (SA) J-F Lucquin (Fra), P Harrington

Paul Casey fired a seven-under-par final round of 65 to win the European Tour Abu Dhabi Championship on Sunday.

Swede Peter Hanson and Casey's Ryder Cup team-mate Miguel Angel Jimenez were both a shot adrift of the Englishman, who finished on 17 under par.

Overnight leader Padraig Harrington slipped to a share of fifth place, three shots behind Casey.

Casey began the morning in fourth place but produced a fine display in the hot weather to storm up the leaderboard.

Casey, the 2006 golfer of the year, made eight birdies to finish on 17 under.

I played well enough to win today, certainly to get a play-off Miguel Angel Jimenez

A bogey on the 18th, when he failed to make a relatively simple putt, looked to have given Miguel Angel Jimenez the chance of a play-off - but the Spaniard failed to find the required birdie on the last to deny Casey the trophy and the �170,000 prize money.

Jimenez had also bogeyed the previous hole, and could not hide his disappointment afterwards.

606 DEBATE: How far will Casey go in 2007?

He said: "I had a very good chance but I hit a very bad shot at the 17th. I missed the shot and there is no excuse.

"I played well enough to win today, certainly to get a play-off and I still felt on the 18th that I had a chance of a play-off an a victory."

Harrington had been expected to continue his fine form from Saturday after starting the day with a one-shot lead.

He made solid progress on his outward nine, carding three birdies, but he failed to make another coming home and bogeys on the 11th and 18th meant he dropped away.

Tournament debutant Retief Goosen finished alongside the Irishman, a disappointing par 72 on Friday proving to be his undoing after an impressive weekend on the course.

Last year's winner Chris DiMarco was also left regretting some disappointing scores in earlier rounds after he carded a superb six-under 66 on Sunday to finish third.