DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — For Tiger Woods, one close shave deserved another. Now he's 2 for 2 for the year.

Woods won the Dubai Desert Classic over Ernie Els yesterday, forcing a playoff against the defending champion with birdies on the last two holes of regulation.

On the first playoff hole, the par-5 18th, Woods went just over the green with his second shot. Els put his drive into a grove of palm trees, and then hit his second shot into the water protecting the green. Els missed a 20-foot par putt, leaving Woods to two-putt for par from 6 feet to win.

"Somehow I got lucky," Woods said. "Today it was very fortunate because I didn't really have it, but the other guys didn't run away, either."

Woods, who shaved the goatee he'd been wearing before rallying Saturday to grab a share of the lead, won his first tournament of the year last weekend in the Buick Invitational in San Diego, also in a playoff.

It was his first event after a six-week break, the longest of his career.

Yesterday's victory was Woods' 57th worldwide — 47 of them on the U.S. PGA Tour. It was also the 10th country in which he has won an official tournament. Along with titles in the United States and the United Arab Emirates, he has won in Thailand, Germany, Spain, Britain, Canada, Ireland, Japan and Malaysia.

The long vacation hasn't hurt, and neither did a 20-hour flight across 12 time zones to reach the Middle East.

This was Woods' third attempt to win on this desert course on the Arabian peninsula. Five years ago, he led after the third round but lost on the 72nd hole to Dane Thomas Bjorn, dumping a shot into the water hazard on 18. Two years ago, he watched Florida neighbor Mark O'Meara win.

Els and Woods were tied at 19-under 269 after regulation. Richard Green shot a 68 to finish 18 under and Miguel Angel Jimenez (69) and Anders Hansen (71) came in at 17-under 271. Retief Goosen shot 71 for a 16-under 272.

Els, a three-time champion in Dubai, shot a closing 5-under 67. Woods, who was tied for the lead with Anders Hansen after three rounds, closed with a 69 to go with rounds of 67-66-67.

"I cannot complain," said Els, who is coming back from knee surgery last year. "After all the hassle I had with the leg to come back ... and to almost win is fine."

Woods received $400,000 for winning the $2.4 million event, where he received a $3 million appearance fee.

Woods is nearly impossible to beat in playoffs. He's 13-1 worldwide in official events.

TIGER WOODS' PLAYOFF RECORD

The playoff record of Tiger Woods, who is 13-1 in worldwide official events:

1996 Las Vegas Invitational — def. Davis Love III, first hole

1997 Mercedes Championships — def. Tom Lehman, first hole

1998 JOHNNIE WALKER — DEF. ERNIE ELS, SECOND HOLE

1998 NISSAN OPEN — LOST TO BILLY MAYFAIR, FIRST HOLE

1999 WGC-American Express — def. Miguel Angel Jimenez, first hole

2000 Mercedes Championships — def. Ernie Els, second hole

2000 PGA Championship — def. Bob May, three holes (total score)

2001 WGC-NEC Invitational — def. Jim Furyk, seventh hole

2002 Deutsche Bank — def. Colin Montgomerie, third hole

2005 MASTERS — DEF. CHRIS DIMARCO, FIRST HOLE

2005 WGC-American Express — def. John Daly, second hole

2005 DUNLOP PHOENIX — DEF. KANAME YOKOO, FOURTH HOLE

2006 Buick Invitational — def. Jose Maria Olazabal and Nathan Green, second hole

2006 Dubai Classic — def. Ernie Els, first hole