Tyrrell Hatton holds nerve to win Hero Dubai Desert Classic

Tyrrell Hatton equalled Jon Rahm's record of five Rolex Series victories by capturing the Hero Dubai Desert Classic after an epic tussle with Daniel Hillier on Sunday.

Ryder Cup star Hatton went into the final round one behind New Zealand's Hillier but ground out a three-under-par 69 to finish on 15 under at Emirates Golf Club.

That was one clear of Hillier, who signed for a 71, with Laurie Canter, who shot a 68, third on 13 under.

Hatton drew level with a birdie on the second after a fortunate bounce from the left rough saw his tee shot settle on the green before two-putting.

Hillier went back in front with a tap-in birdie at the par-five next after Hatton had been forced to lay up after driving into a bunker.

Hatton leapfrogged his playing partner at the fifth, making a gain from four feet as Hillier bogeyed after a duffed chip, and was not to be knocked off the top of the leaderboard from that point.

The Englishman doubled his advantage on the sixth with a birdie from nine feet, with Hillier spurning a chance from half that distance.

A huge break came Hatton's way when his tee shot came up short at the seventh and rolled towards the water, only to stop in rough inches from the hazard, with the Ryder Cup star getting up-and-down for par.

Both players birdied the long tenth – Hillier leaving an eagle attempt a fraction shy – but the New Zealander then stuck his tee shot close at the 11th, with the subsequent gain halving Hatton's lead to one.

Hatton found rough down the left off the tee at the 12th and pulled his approach into another nasty lie but, although he dropped a shot, Hillier was unable to take advantage as he failed to get up and down.

Both players were unable to take advantage of the long 13th and Hillier did well to save par from a bunker at the 15th as the battle for the title turned into a war of attrition.

The lack of birdies at the top of the leaderboard briefly offered hopes to the likes of Canter, Rory McIlroy, Shaun Norris and Niklas Norgaard.

However, Hatton took a huge stride towards victory with a brilliant wedge approach to the 16th that set up a tap-in birdie.

There was still time for a few jitters on the 18th. Hatton unsurprisingly laid up but a conservative approach to the back of the green in order to take the water out of play left him with a 45-foot birdie effort.

Hillier had gone for the green in two and gone over the back, but made a nine-footer for birdie to leave Hatton a testing five-footer, which he duly converted.

Japan's Keita Nakajima finished the tournament in style with an albatross at the par-five 18th.