Robert MacIntyre has finally broken into the world’s top-50 but it was not the positive manner the young Scot had expected after seeing victory slip at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

MacIntyre posted a disappointing final round 74 to finish five shots behind England’s Paul Casey who won by four strokes in posting a closing 70 for a 17-under tally on the Emirates course.

South African Brandon Stone, and a past ASI Scottish Open winner, grabbed second place, signing for a 66 for a 13-under par score and MacIntyre missing a six-footer at the last to be third on 12-under.

Casey, 39, celebrated a 21^st worldwide victory and as 15^th win on the European Tour in a 312^th Tour start.

The Arizona-based Englishman also captured a fifth Arab region title having won twice in Abu Dhabi (2007 & 2009), Bahrain (2011) and now won in Dubai.

Casey said: “This is a very, very special victory for me. It is an unbelievable honour roll of winners.

“Dubai has been so good to the European Tour and golf around the world, and it’s just so cool to win here for the first time.

“I feel like I have regained my youth with this win.

MacIntyre entered the event ranked No. 52 in the world and with the effort, in his 50th Tour event, expected to see him over to around 44th in the World Rankings when officially adjusted early Monday morning UK time.

It will mean MacIntyre should receive a first invitation to the Masters come the March 29th point to be inside the top-50 on the rankings.

Sadly, his final round effort also was a mirror of his collapse 11 miles away last December when he went into the final round of the season-ending DP World Championship at the Jumeirah Estates just a stroke off the lead but finished 10 shots off the pace with a 77.

MacIntyre’s quest to join the likes of Seve, Freddie, Tiger, Ernie, Rory and fellow Scots Monty and Stevie G in getting his name on the famed oversize coffee pot trophy effectively ended with four horror bogeys in succession near mid-round.

It sent Scotland’s top-ranked tumbling then five shots behind Casey and that became six adrift when the new World No. 15 ranked Casey birdied the 11^th.

MacIntyre said: “I fought right to the end and while I got the start I was looking for, I thought here we go and we’re only one back.

“Sometimes it doesn’t go for you and today was of those days.  Right now, I am not going to learn anything from today but when I go away, I will learn a lot.

“I just felt like I gave a win away today.

“It will be unbelievable to get inside the top-50 to qualify for the two WGC events and the Masters but again, the Masters qualifying is not done until the 25^th March, so I have a lot of work to do.

“I just have to keep believing in myself and keep myself chances like today week-in and week-out and I am going to secure a win at some point.

“Paul (Casey) was brilliant.  Again, he stuck to his own game.  He played great and he controlled himself well and I just have to look-up to that and see where I can get to.”

MacIntyre went into the final round of his 50^th event a shot behind Casey but there was a bizarre moment at the second tee when the Scot pulled out of his tee shot on his backswing to get back to his bag and wipe his grip.

And while he found the right rough, the young Scot brilliantly chipped to 11-feet to hole the birdie putt to draw level with Casey.

Casey responded with a super chip-in birdie at the fourth but the Scot got a shot back when Casey failed to get up-and-down from the rough at the fifth hole but MacIntyre then gave it straight back with a bogey at the next, the par-3 seventh.

MacIntyre looked on in disbelief when his par putt horse-shoed for bogey at the eighth but then committed golf’s cardinal sin at the next, the par-4 ninth and with just 163-yards to the flag, he sent his second shot into the water guarding the green.

Then at the par-5 10^th, and standing over a four-footer for birdie, the Scot terribly three-putted for a fourth straight dropped shot, and then when Casey birdied the 11^th, MacIntyre was a massive five shots behind.

MacIntyre managed only a second birdie of this day at the 14^th ahead of four closing pars.

A Dubai win would have seen MacIntyre certain in heading to the Masters by moving to No. 33 in the world while second would have jumped to 40^th and the certain guarantee, as at the March 29^th cut-off point, of being inside the world’s top-50.

MacIntyre will continue to work towards that goal starting Thursday at the Saudi International.

Grant Forrest (70) and Scott Jamieson (75) shared 27^th place at four-under while Richie Ramsay (76) was at the tail of the field at seven-over.