Dubai, United Arab Emirates ? Two tournaments, two continents, two playoff victories.

Tiger Woods’ year is off to a perfect start.

Two shots behind with two holes to play, Woods drove the green on the 359-yard 17th hole to set up a birdie-birdie finish that got him into a playoff, where he defeated Ernie Els on the first extra hole Sunday to win the Dubai Desert Classic.

“I couldn’t ask for anything more than that,” said Woods, who hasn’t started a season with two victories since his record-setting year in 2000. “Two playoffs, too. Very stressful, but I was somehow able to come out on top. I was very fortunate today.”

It was similar to last week in San Diego, where Woods birdied the final hole to get into a playoff at the Buick Invitational and won with pars when his opponents made mistakes.

Els also birdied the last hole with a six-foot putt. But on the par-5 18th hole in the playoff, he pulled his tee shot into the sandy grove of palms, and his approach came up about a yard short into the water. He took a drop and pitched 20 feet beyond the hole, missing his par putt.

Woods, who went just over the back of the green in the playoff, chipped to six feet and two-putted for par.

Woods closed with a 3-under 69, finishing with a birdie from behind the 18th green in regulation to join Els at 19-under 269. Richard Green of Australia birdied four of five holes down the stretch to take the lead, but he drove into a plugged lie in the sandy palm grove and took bogey on the 18th.

Els shot 5-under 67, but the ending was all too familiar. It was the third time he has lost in a playoff to Woods and the seventh time the 36-year-old South African has finished second to Woods.

“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.”