Stenson, currently enjoying a rich vein of form following his back-to-back second place finishes in Abu Dhabi and Doha, struck his nine iron to perfection for his first hole-in-one on this course.

Thanks to Stenson’s feat, the duo completed their sparkling journey around the 1,239-yard course on seven-under-par to beat their nearest challengers Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood by one stroke.

The star pairing of Tiger Woods and Darren Clarke finished on five under par as did the Ernie Els-Thomas Bjorn team.

David Howell and Jeev Milkha Singh closed with one under par while Mark O’Meara and Thomas Bjorn played level par.

The scores of the teams notwithstanding, the Challenge Match provided a rare opportunity for local fans to see the game’s biggest stars up close and personal in a fun format in which they battled to raise money for designated UAE charities.

The match, followed by an appreciative crowd, involved six teams, each comprising two players. The teams were split into three groups and played in a two-ball betterball format on the par-27 course. “It was really fun playing the Challenge Match. We all enjoyed it,” said Stenson. “It’s good to get a hole-in-one playing on this course for only second time,” he said.

“The hole-in-one was even more satisfying in the sense that it helped in raising (more) money for our team’s designated charity,” said the Swede.

Moza bint Hammad of Leisurecorp presented the prizes in the company of Mohamed Buamaim, vice-chairman and CEO of golf in DUBAI – the promoters and organisers of the Dubai Desert Classic.

Scores: Henrik Stenson and Colin Montgomerie seven under par; Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood six under par; Tiger Woods and Darren Clarke five under par; Ernie Els and Thomas Bjorn five under par; David Howell and Jeev Milkha Singh one under par; Mark O’Meara and Thomas Bjorn level par.