O’Meara chops Woods for title

That left O’Meara one ahead but world number one Woods made a brave 10-footer for a matching birdie at the 571-yard 17th to send the contest to the last hole.

Both bunkered their drives, both escaped well and Woods hit his third shot to eight feet.

O’Meara’s third hit passed the pin but spun back some 25 feet to finish up against a collar of rough off the green 15 feet away.

But he rolled in the putt to seal his victory.

O’Meara, who scored a record-breaking 11 and 10 triumph over holder Vijay Singh in yesterday’s semifinals, won$289,100 and strengthened his position as the world number three behind Woods, and David Duval.

Woods had taken a three-hole lead into the afternoon round after winning the first three holes of the day, the second with a 20-foot chip-in and the third on a 35-foot birdie putt. He also won the sixth to go four up and made seven birdies during the morning.

O’Meara got back to three at the 17th and began chipping further away at the deficit right after the break, winning the first with a birdie from 10 feet and the third when woods bogeyed.

When he won the sixth and seventh with birdies — Woods missed from four feet at the sixth — O’Meara was in front for the first time.

It swung back and forth after that. Woods levelled at the ninth with a six-iron approach to a foot and was back in front at the short 10th after a six iron to eight feet.

But O’Meara struck a master shot at the 510-yard 12th, a two-iron second which hit the flagstick and stopped two feet away for an eagle, and he was ahead again aftera nine-foot birdie at the 14th.

A bad drive into the trees cost O’Meara the 15th but he survived his poor drive at the next that turned into the crucial hole of the entire match.

Having knocked his eight-foot attempt four feet past the hole, Woods missed again.