Woods triumphs as play-off jitters claim Daly

After both players parred the 18th in sudden death the world No 1 left his birdie putt on the 16th inches short of the hole, and then watched as Daly three-putted from 18ft. It gave Woods his fourth American Express title in six attempts, his 11th win in 21 World Golf Championship events, and took his earnings to £7.7m in WGC events alone.

Woods said: "It turned out to be a great week. I didn't really have my best stuff this week but I hung in there with my mind and hit some good shots when I needed to. I didn't get off to the greatest of starts today but I hung in there and made a great putt on nine to save par and got it going from there.

"You feel so bad for JD, though. It's not how you are supposed to win a golf tournament. JD played beautifully all week and it should not end like that."

Daly held a one-shot cushion overnight and was still one ahead with two to play despite Woods making three birdies from the 10th. But the former Open champion three-putted the 17th for bogey and repeated the error on the second extra hole to miss out on his biggest win since victory at St Andrews in 1995.

"I thought I had it but I missed a birdie putt on the 16th and then missed from four feet on 17 and that was the golf tournament," said Daly. "I should have had it won but it's just a lack of confidence in putting. Tiger has won so many golf tournaments I am sure I was feeling a bit more heat than he was but you just hate to lose that way and I know Tiger hates to win that way."

Meanwhile, Colin Montgomerie moved closer to an incredible eighth Order of Merit title despite narrowly missing out the play-off.

The 42-year-old Scot missed a number of birdie chances on the back nine before eventually holing from 12ft on the 17th to lie just one shot off the lead, but a bogey on the 18th dropped him from outright third into a tie with Sweden's Henrik Stenson and Spain's Sergio Garcia.

Montgomerie, who won his first title for 19 months in the Dunhill Links Championship last week, had the consolation of moving about £90,000 ahead of US Open champion Michael Campbell in the money list with three events remaining.

Montgomerie, who fired a closing 70, said: "I played great on the back nine and got nothing out of it. I hit some great shots in there and played it level par. It's disappointing really but I would have taken third before we came so that's OK.

"It feels fantastic to go top of the Order of Merit. I had a goal at the start of the week to overtake Michael and get more Ryder Cup points, which I achieved."

England's David Howell continued his superb run of form with a final-round 67 to set the clubhouse target on five under.

Howell, sixth in his last WGC event in the NEC Invitational on his return from a two-month injury lay-off, saw his chances of victory disappear with a third-round 74 but bounced back with his third 67 of the week.

Graeme McDowell also had cause to rue the third round, in particular the quadruple-bogey eight he ran up on the 18th when lying one shot off the lead. The Ulsterman, who also missed part of the season through injuries suffered in a car crash, closed with a 68 to finish alongside Howell on five under.