Lee Westwood won the battle of the European Number Ones in America when he beat Robert Karlsson in a play-off for the St Jude Classic on the US PGA Tour, setting both players up perfectly for the US Open Championship.
It was the fourth European victory on US soil this year, following previous successes by Ian Poulter in the WGC – Accenture Match Play, Rory McIlroy in the Quail Hollow Championship and Justin Rose in the Memorial Tournament last week.
The pair, the last two winners of the Harry Vardon Trophy – Westwood succeeding Karlsson in topping The Race to Dubai last year – finished the regulation 72 holes at TPC Southwind, Memphis, Tennesseee, tied on ten under par 270 alongside Robert Garrigus, and when the American was eliminated on the first extra hole, the two Europeans moved on in a head to head battle.
Westwood, playing on a sponsor's invite, had looked out of contention as Garrigus took his three-shot lead to the 72nd hole, only to triple bogey and send the event into a three-way sudden-death play-off.
There was further woe for Garrigus as they went to sudden death at the 18th, the American avoiding the water this time but overcooking his tee shot and sending his ball directly behind a tree, from where he could only bogey as the Europeans parred.
At the third extra hole, World Number Three Westwood looked to have made a fatal error when he three putted but Karlsson, Sweden’s most prolific winner with nine European Tour titles, missed his putt for the title from similar six foot distance.
The contest returned to the 18th, both players hitting ideal drives. Karlsson, seeking his maiden US PGA Tour title, played first and hit a nine iron to the middle of the green. Westwood, from 20 yards closer, went in with a wedge and played a terrific shot to five feet. When Karlsson two putted from distance, the stage was set for Westwood and this time he made no mistake to post his first birdie in 17 holes to secure his much-longed for win.
The statistics show that Westwood closed with a final round of 68 to Karlsson’s 69 and Garrigus’ 71 but the bare facts hide a story of drama as Garrigus looked to have one hand on the title only to have a horror triple bogey seven on the final green to open to door to the European pair.
Westwood had won 23 times worldwide since landing the 1998 Freeport-McDermott Classic in New Orleans, but, after numerous near-misses in the past three seasons - including top-three finishes at the 2008 US Open Championship and 2009 US PGA Championship as well as finishing runner-up in this year's Masters and in a tie for fourth at THE PLAYERS Championship last month - Westwood completed the perfect preparation for next week's US Open Championship at Pebble Beach with a second career victory on American soil.
"Twelve years ago I won my first tournament in New Orleans," Westwood said.
"You try to do the right thing all the time. Sometimes it doesn't work for you. I've been in contention a lot, especially this year, and I suppose I got a break with other people's misfortune, but made the most of it and took a chance."
Westwood insisted he had not felt disheartened as the near-misses stacked up.
"In my career I've had highs and lows," he added.
"I've dropped down in the world rankings and come back up so to be contending for golf tournaments is a real positive, because I couldn't see a fairway or the golf course eight years ago.
"Now I'm contending for golf tournaments. What is there not to enjoy? There's far more people - you look at the charity this week, the kids' hospital - go through worse things than playing bad golf.
"That's why I play golf with such an optimistic outlook. Good things will happen. I enjoy golf."
Westwood and Karlsson had been beneficiaries of Garrigus' anxiety as he tried to close out his maiden victory.
After a hat-trick of birdies on the front nine at the par 70 course, Westwood parred his way around TPC Southwind while overnight leader Garrigus recovered from two early bogeys to tie with the Englishman at the top of the leaderboard with birdies at the eighth and tenth.
And the American moved ahead of the European Number One with further birdies at the 15th and 16th while Westwood bogeyed the 17th after just missing a par putt from the fringe of the green.
That gave Garrigus a three-stroke lead heading to the last and when Westwood missed a birdie putt at the last and parred for a two-under round of 68 to finish on ten under par, it looked as if his chance was gone.
There was more drama, though, as Garrigus sent his tee shot into water to the left of the dog-legged 18th fairway and then, having taken a drop, sent his second shot into trees.
That required him to lay up sideways on the way to a triple-bogey seven that brought Westwood and Karlsson into their three-way play off, all finishing on ten under.
South Africa's Retief Goosen and Sweden's Fredrik Jacobson both closed on four under following final round 68s, while World Number Ten Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland ended his preparations for next week's US Open Championship with a one over par 71 that left him at two under.
Sweden's Mathias Gronberg shot a closing 71 to finish the week at level par but three-time Major Championship winner Padraig Harrington of Ireland carded his third ove -par round of the tournament following an opening 65.
Harrington's 73 left the Dubliner at three over for the week.
