GOLF/World Cup: Japan won golf's World Cup for the first time since 1957 in Mexico last night after Americans Phil Mickelson and David Toms double-bogeyed the final hole.
Shigeki Maryama and Toshimitsu Izawa were two behind with three to play, but Izawa pitched to six feet to set up birdies for his partner on the 16th and 17th.
Then, up ahead of them, the United States made a complete hash of the last - after playing the first 17 in nine under par.
Mickelson drove into the rough and Toms pulled their second into the hazard left of the green. They took a penalty drop, but Mickelson then chipped 20 feet past the hole and Toms just missed.
Japan safely parred the hole for a closing 66 and 36-under-par total of 252.
They won the million-dollar first prize by two, with England’s Justin Rose and Paul Casey joint third with South Korea.
Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley shot a final round of four under 68 but were well off the pace.
The Irish pair had three birdies in four holes starting at the eight, but the damage had been done on the seventh, where Harrington hit a poor second which resulted in a double bogey six at the 426 yard par four.
However, they did finish in style with birdies at the 16th and 17th on their way to a 68 and a four round total of 261.
In the ottest temperatures of the tournament the Americans played the first nine holes of the closing foursomes in 30.
But with overnight leaders Maruyama and Izawa having four birdies in the first eight, Toms and Mickelson still trailed by one at 33 under par.
Toms set the US off on the right foot by converting a 10-foot chance at the first. World number two Mickelson then hit a superb second to two feet on the 550-yeard third for an eagle and birdies were added at the fifth, seventh and long eight, where Toms’ approach from the left-hand rough carried the guarding bunker by about a foot and rolled up to 25 feet.
Japan had a hat-trick of birdies from the second and then another on the eight after the US had caught them.
After a slow start the Americans were 26 under for their last 36 holes and when they made that 27 for 37 by two-putting the 536-yeard 10th they were level with Japan again.
Toms did hole from six feet at the 13th, but seconds later Izawa converted a similar length chance on the 12th and Japan were one ahead once more.
In a week of incredible low scoring it was ironic that a par at the 14th took the Americans into the lead on their own.
As Mickelson came out of sand to two feet there Japan ran into trouble on the 340-yeard 13th, where Izawa had hold for an eagle two in the third round.
This time Maruyama went long into a bunker and from a bad lie his partner came out over the green and down a bank. They took three more from there for a double bogey and now ere one behind.
Toms put the United states two ahead with a spectacular second to one foot on the 423-yard 16th, but Maruyama cut the gap back to one with a birdie at the same hole.
Maruyama made a second successive six-footer on the short 17th to put Japan back level and as they arrived on the 18th tee they saw the Americans in trouble, and went on to take full advantage of the slip-up.
Mickelson had pulled his drive into the rought and Toms’ approach ran along the edge of the hazard left of the green and then fell in among the rocks.
After looking at the possibility of playing the ball Mickelson took a penalty drop. They had to get up and down just for a bogey, but the chip went 20 feet past and Toms’ miss meant a six and a 65.
After a 68 England’s Justin Rose and Paul Casey were joint third, four strokes further back with South Korea.
Leading final round totals
252 Japan 64 64 58 56
254 United States 65 67 57 65
258 South Korea 61 67 64 66 England 65 63 62 68
260 Argentina 64 68 62 66
261 Ireland 64 67 62 68 Canada 59 67 64 71
262 Fiji 63 62 62 75
263 Denmark 63 70 63 68
265 Wales 63 68 65 68 Scotland 64 65 62 75
266 Sweden 62 71 64 69 Switzerland 63 67 65 71
270 New Zealand 65 73 64 68 Singapore 70 65 65 70 France 61 72 64 73 Trinidad and Tobago 63 66 64 77.
