By Bernie McGuire
Dubai (Reuters) - Spain's Alvaro Quiros undertook an 11,000 kilometer (6,800 mile) round trip for a sinus surgery and then recorded his lowest round in 16 months, thanks to the fifth hole-in-one of his career on the final day of the Dubai Desert Classic on Sunday.
Quiros, who turned 32 on January 21, found the bottom of the cup at the par-three, 172 meter (188 yards) fourth hole en route to an eight-under-par 64 and the clubhouse lead at 12-under on the Emirates Course.
It is the second ace for the Vilamoura-based Spaniard in the event after a hole-in-one on the last day in capturing the 2011 Dubai Desert Classic.
"Anthony Wall was hitting before me and we saw the ball land a meter away from the hole and when I hit my shot, a 150 meter three-quarter 8-iron, we saw the ball pitch but didn't see the ball," Quiros told reporters.
"Because there was no people around, given we were out early this morning, and also the sun was into our faces we didn't know it was in the hole until I walked onto the green.
"That's what happens when you don't play that good in the first three rounds and they put you out early, so there was no people to clap," he quipped.
"But the hole-in-one brought back good memories of my hole-in-one in winning here four years ago."
A week ago, Quiros battled continuing nose bleeding in sharing 23rd place in the Qatar Masters and was observed with tissue paper in his nostrils and also a small clamp-like device over the bridge of his nose.
"I had to fly back from Qatar to Spain on Saturday night after the event and I had nasal surgery on Sunday, and I left Spain on Tuesday and arrived here in Dubai Tuesday afternoon.
"I was just struggling to breathe properly and that's why my nose was bleeding so much.
"I am still having a lot of liquid coming out of my nose but the bleeding has stopped."
However Quiros, who is currently ranked a lowly 248th in the world after a career high of being ranked 21st this time three years ago, is now headed to Malaysia with renewed enthusiasm for the game.
"This is my lowest score in maybe 15 months since I played the 2013 KLM Open so I am now excited to get back to playing the golf I know I can play," he said.