Ireland’s Padraig Harrington upset Tiger Woods to win the Dunlop Phoenix tournament after an astonishing birdie on the second play-off hole on Sunday.
The 2006 European Order of Merit winner bravely blasted his second shot through a narrow gap in a Y-shaped tree after driving into the rough and then pitched to within two feet.
American Woods, who was bidding from a third straight title in Miyazaki, missed from 12 feet and Harrington completed an easy tap-in to win the $1.7-million tournament.
World number one Woods began the final round tied with Harrington for the lead but looked to be cruising to his 10th victory of the year after three early birdies.
However, the momentum shifted suddenly when Harrington holed a long birdie putt on the par-four 16th and then Woods amazingly missed a three-foot par putt to leave them level.
Both men holed short birdie putts to card rounds of three-under-par 67 and finish at nine-under 271.
After carbon-copy birdies on the last in the first play-off hole, the players returned to the 18th again where Harrington went for broke after a poor tee shot to triumph against the odds.
Woods had a daunting 38-3 record going into the final round of tournaments with at least a share of the lead but the 12-times major winner was unable to shake off a determined Harrington.
Japan’s Keiichiro Fukabori crept under the radar to claim third on eight under after the day’s best round of 64 gave him the clubhouse lead until Woods and Harrington birdied 18. — Reuters