Golf:Graeme McDowell is up to a career-high seventh in the world after his amazing victory over Tiger Woods in California. For the first time in his career Woods lost a four-shot lead, being beaten in a play-off by the Portrush star at the Chevron World Challenge.
It was Woods' last chance for a win during 2010, whereas McDowell added the title to his US Open, Wales Open and Andalucia Masters.
With Lee Westwood capturing the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa the gap between him and Woods at the top has widened to 0.8 points.
Woods, who had been on top in Thousand Oaks all weekend, began the day with a four-shot lead, but suffered his first bad round of the tournament, highlighted by a calamitous double-bogey on the 13th, to sign for a 73.
That gave McDowell his chance as he overcame two bogeys with five birdies, the last on the 18th, to force a playoff. And he won that with another birdie putt on the 18th, leaving Woods without a title since he won the Australian Masters a year ago.
"I fought hard today ... it was close, we had a good battle again - I felt right, I was right there," said Woods.
Although the tournament is not officially part of the PGA Tour, it clearly meant a lot to Woods who celebrated his great second shot on the 18th in regulation with an aggressive fist pump of vintage variety.
There was also plenty at stake for McDowell who showed great poise to come out on top against the backdrop of a crowd clearly, and vocally, hoping to see Woods capture his first tournament win since his personal troubles began.
"Its just been an amazing year, I can't say enough about it," said McDowell, who triumphed in the U.S Open at Pebble Beach in June. "This is dream stuff, playing one of the greatest golfers who has ever played and to beat him like this, I'm just ecstatic."
Paul Casey also went round in 69 to hold on to third place, ahead of Rory McIlroy, who made four straight birdies en route to a round of 68 that gave him a share of fourth place with Hunter Mahan.
Stewart Cink had the best round of the day, making six birdies and one bogey to go round in 67 and move from a share of 10th to a share of sixth along with Ian Poulter. Luke Donald dropped to eighth as he could only manage a round of 74, his afternoon marred by a double bogey on the par-five 16th.