Gregory Bourdy held off a spirited challenge from new Race to Dubai leader Rory McIlroy to win the UBS Hong Kong Open by two shots today.

Defending a two shot overnight lead from Robert-Jan Derksen, Bourdy dropped just one shot in a conservative three-under-par 67 to finish at 19 under overall to claim his third European Tour title.

The 27-year-old, who last won in Estoril in 2008, also secured his place at the season-ending Dubai World Championship with his seventh professional victory also propelling him into the top 100 in the world.

"I didn't look at the leaderboard until the 18th green so I didn't know McIlroy played well. I wanted to stay focused on my game and play shot by shot and I knew if I played two, three or four under it was OK and I made it," said Bourdy.

"Dubai was a big objective and a big motivation. I needed to win and I did it, it's so great."

McIlroy began the final day five adrift of Bourdy but stormed firmly into contention with five gains in six holes at the start of his back nine.

But a furious McIlroy three-putted his penultimate green following a wayward approach for his only blemish of the final day and was and was forced to settle for a second consecutive runner-up finish at Hong Kong Golf Club following a six-under-par 64.

But with Lee Westwood struggling this week and finishing tied for 54th at one-under-par following a final round 74, McIlroy heads to Dubai in pole position to win the Order of Merit in just his second full season as a professional.

"I played lovely, really, really well. I thought I needed a low one and went out with the mindset that if I went lower than 65 then I might have a chance but Gregory obviously played very well," said McIlroy.

"I am a bit disappointed at the moment but I have the consolation of going back to the top of the Race to Dubai.

"There is a lot that can go on next week but my goal this week was to win the UBS Hong Kong Open and I have come up just short again, for the second year in a row. But I gave it my best shot and that is all I can do."

Francesco Molinari, who also lost out in last year's play-off alongside McIlroy, finished with back-to-back birdies as he also dropped just one shot in a final round 64 to finish tied for third alongside Derksen (68) at 16 under.

Singapore Open champion Ian Poulter (64) and Raphael Jacquelin (64) finished five back tied for fifth with Peter Lawrie a further shot adrift following a three-under 67.

Simon Dyson (66) claimed eighth at 12-under-par with Scott Strange (66) and David Dixon, who secured his card for next season with a three under 67, rounding out the top 10.

Collated final round scores & totals the European Tour UBS Hong Kong Open, Hong Kong GC, Fanling, Hong Kong

(Gbr & Irl unless stated, par 70):

261 Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 64 67 63 67

263 Rory McIlroy 66 68 65 64

264 Robert Jan Derksen (Ned) 63 68 65 68, Francesco Molinari (Ita) 66 68 66 64

266 Ian Poulter 68 66 68 64, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 66 68 68 64

267 Peter Lawrie 66 68 66 67

268 Simon Dyson 68 67 67 66

269 David Dixon 64 69 69 67, Scott Strange (Aus) 68 65 70 66

270 Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 65 66 71 68, Wen-chong Liang (Chn) 66 65 72 67, Scott Drummond 69 67 68 66, Danny Chia (Mal) 67 66 68 69, Darren Clarke 69 67 67 67, Mark Foster 65 69 69 67, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 64 71 68 67

271 Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 65 67 71 68, Graeme McDowell 67 68 66 70, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 68 69 63 71, David Howell 69 66 67 69

272 Marcus Both (Aus) 70 67 65 70, Wen-Tang Lin (Tpe) 64 69 67 72, Simon Yates 70 68 67 67, Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia (Ind) 65 69 73 65, Jyoti Randhawa (Ind) 66 69 67 70, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa) 68 67 68 69, Simon Khan 67 70 71 64

273 Christian Cevaer (Fra) 71 67 67 68, Kiradech Aphibamrat (Tha) 68 67 71 67, Anders Hansen (Den) 68 70 68 67, Colin Montgomerie 69 69 67 68, Yong-eun Yang (Kor) 66 67 69 71, Chih-bing Lam (Sin) 71 67 69 66, Andrew McLardy (Rsa) 68 68 67 70

274 Rahil Gangjee (Ind) 67 70 68 69, Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 71 67 70 66, Lian-Wei Zhang (Chn) 67 69 69 69, Rhys Davies 65 69 71 69, Mardan Mamat (Sin) 68 68 68 70, Jason Knutzon (USA) 68 67 69 70, Tony Carolan (Aus) 65 71 68 70, Markus Brier (Aut) 70 68 67 69, Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra) 69 68 68 69

275 Wei Chih Lu (Tha) 65 69 69 72, Airil-Rizman Zahari (Mal) 68 66 70 71, Ignacio Garrido (Spa) 67 70 68 70

276 Shiv Kapur (Ind) 68 68 72 68, Andrew Dodt (Aus) 69 68 71 68, Chinnarat Phadungsil (Tha) 66 66 75 69

277 Jamie Donaldson 69 69 70 69, Mars Pucay (Phi) 68 67 73 69

278 Juvic Pagunsan (Phi) 67 70 71 70

279 Iain Steel (Mal) 68 70 68 73, Chapchai Nirat (Tha) 70 65 72 72, Lee Westwood 66 70 69 74, Graeme Storm 68 67 76 68

280 Darren Beck (Aus) 68 70 72 70, Pablo Martin (Spa) 69 69 71 71

281 Kodai Ichihara (Jpn) 65 73 71 72, Shun yat jason Hak (Hkg) 70 67 72 72, Bradley Dredge 66 71 73 71

283 Anthony Kang (USA) 69 66 74 74, Chawalit Plaphol (Tha) 71 67 72 73

284 Udorn Duangdecha (Tha) 62 74 75 73

292 Ter-Chang Wang (Tpe) 66 72 77 77