Woods holds off Mahan's late charge to triumph

Tournament host Tiger Woods saw off the defending champion Anthony Kim and held off a last-round charge from Hunter Mahan to win the AT&T National at Congressional Country Club in Maryland last night.

Woods collected his third victory of the year, having won Arnold Palmer's event at Bay Hill in March and Jack Nicklaus's Memorial last month, by winning his own tournament by one stroke from Mahan with a final-round three-under-par 67.

It was also his 68th PGA Tour win and the 79th worldwide victory of his career.

Mahan had earlier shot a 62 that matched Kim's course-record round from Thursday and took the American to 12 under, but Woods moved in front with a birdie at the 16th and held on to his lead down the final stretch.

Meanwhile, Lee Westwood is still searching for his first victory since September 2007 – and for the second time it was rising German star Martin Kaymer who denied him yesterday. Kaymer won the French Open at Le Golf National near Paris with an 18-foot par putt on the first hole of a sudden death play-off after they had tied on 13-under. They were three clear of Ian Poulter, who departed absolutely livid and saying he would not be back next year after blaming a press photographer for his shot into water on the 15th.

Westwood, who was runner-up to Kaymer in Abu Dhabi at the start of last year, has also now lost three play-offs since his last win. The former European No 1 had fired a joint best-of-the-day 65 from four behind at the start of the day, but after both found the right-hand rough after returning to the 18th tee his nine-iron just failed to carry the lake. Kaymer had only just made it over but with Westwood then playing a poor pitch as well from the drop zone and doing no better than a double-bogey six the 24-year-old, with two putts for it, sank an 18-footer.

Kaymer's third European Tour title takes him back into the world's top 20 and earned him just over £565,000.

Westwood, who took home £377,000, was still pleased with his week's work. "A 65 was the score I had in mind," he said.