Jeev Milkha Singh signed off the Dubai Desert Classic with a tame 73 and dropped to tied 37th even as Spaniard Rafael Cabrera-Bello held his nerve to beat Lee Westwood (70) and Stephen Gallacher (64) on Sunday.
Cabrera-Bello tallied 18-under 270, while Westwood and Gallacher were at 17-under 271.
Jeev, making his 14th appearance in the Middle-East's oldest event on the European Tour, had a birdie on the fourth but a double bogey on par-4 fifth took away the tempo and he struggled.
He did have a birdie on par-3 11th and then came a bogey on par-4 16th and he finished with a 73. Jeev finished at five-under 283 and his next event is the Avantha Masters in Gurgaon, India.
Westwood gave himself a great chance with an eagle two on par-4 second, but then a lot of putts did not fall and a bogey on fifth did him in. On the 18th, his chip was a let-down and, needing a birdie to get into a play-off, he managed only a par. He shared second with Gallacher.
Marcel Siem (71) was fourth, while George Coetzee (70) was tied for fifth with Rory McIlroy (71), who came alive on the back nine, for which he was four-under.
Thomas Bjorn (71) who had an eagle on 13th was tied ninth, while Martin Kaymer (74) slipped to tied 13th.
Pakistan is America's most dangerous ally: Stephen Cohen
Lee, Johnson, Wi set Pebble Beach pace
PHOTOS: Aston Martin's fabulous racing car
Nervous Nadal says tough journey made win special
New Year Honours for McIlroy, Clarke