Luke Donald missed out on the World Number One spot after missing out to Brandt Snedeker in a play-off at The Heritage at Hilton Head.
Donald survived errant approach shots at the last two holes to ensure a play-off and the first two extra holes were halved in threes.
He then found a bunker in front of the 16th green, though, and after Snedeker made a safe par, Donald had a chip to keep the play-off alive - which rattled the hole but stayed up to hand his opponent the title.
Donald, needing victory to leapfrog Martin Kaymer and Lee Westwood and top the rankings, began the day with a one shot lead and made a tap-in birdie on the par five second - a hole on which he acknowledges he has struggled this week, taking seven on Saturday.
He gave the shot straight back after driving into a bunker on the next but bounced back with two more birdies in succession to lead outright on 13 under.
His nearest pursuer at that stage was Ricky Barnes after the American birdied four of the first five holes to reach 12 under, having recorded back-to-back 67s on days two and three. He missed a short birdie putt at the eighth, though, and two bogeys on the back nine saw him finish joint fourth on ten under.
Compatriot Snedeker, meanwhile, recorded three birdies in a row from the second and six in total on the front nine as he surged to 11 under.
Yet another birdie followed on the 12th and, though he bogeyed the par four 13th, another birdie to follow left him just one shot behind Donald.
The Englishman promptly bogeyed the par three seventh after mis-hitting a difficult bunker shot and a further dropped shot at the tenth, missing a four-foot par putt, opened the way for Snedeker to join him at the summit.
The latter bogeyed the 16th but hit his approach at the last to 12 feet and rolled in a good birdie putt to finish at 12 under after a superb closing 64.
Donald recovered to the same mark with a birdie at the 13th, having done well to escape with a par at the 12th after driving into the trees.
Tommy Gainey had stealthily entered the running after eagling the fifth and adding three birdies, but after birdie putts at the last two holes stayed up he was forced to settle for third.
Donald missed a seven foot birdie putt at the 16th and went through the green at the short 17th to leave him with an awkward pitch over a high bank, but an excellent up-and-down saved par.
Another poor approach at the last found the bunker in front of the green but he went very close to winning the tournament as his pitch out passed inches left of the hole.
He tapped in to ensure a play-off and both players made exemplary birdies at the 18th - Donald for the first time all week - as the sudden-death period began.
Donald had to rescue himself from a greenside bunker as they moved to the 17th but Snedeker missed from the fringe and they headed back to the 18th.
For the second time in less than an hour, Donald left his approach short and in sand - and his pitch out squirted left to the fringe of the green.
Snedeker calmly completed a par and Donald sent a gung-ho chip straight at the hole, but it thudded into the back of the cup and bounced away.
