Golf:Jim Furyk was delighted to bring a 28-month winless streak to end when he held off a strong European effort, including Graeme McDowell's runner-up finish to win Tiger Woods' €3.8million Chevron World Challenge in California.
The American Ryder Cup star closed with a final round 67 to win by one from McDowell (70) on 13-under par. As Furyk picked-up €908,000 for his win McDowell leaped 17 placed in the latest world rankings to 38th, ensuring his place in the Masters in April and the Accenture Matchplay in February.
“It’s bothered me, I’d be lying if I said otherwise,” Furyk said of going winless since the 2007 Canadian Open. “That’s your goal every year, to go out there and win and I haven’t been able to do it in two full seasons on the tour.
“Hopefully this will be a stepping stone. You get one (win) under your belt and hopefully I can keep it going next year,” added the American after his win at Sherwood Country Club near Los Angeles.
Woods, who hosts this event each year to benefit his foundation, had withdrawn from the tournament last Monday - citing the injuries sustained in the much-publicised car crash outside his Florida home the previous Friday.
McDowell proved to be the lucky benefactor of Woods’ strife, earning a last-minute invitation as the world number one’s replacement in the tournament.
Pádraig Harrington and European number one Lee Westwood tied for third on 11-under, while Ian Poulter was in a four-way tie for fifth on nine under alongside Americans Stewart Cink, Zach Johnson and Sean O’Hair.
Harrington remains fifth in the latest world rankings while Rory McIlroy, who was forced to withdraw from the Nedbank Challenge in Sun City due to illness, dropped one place to 11th in the latest standings.
Furyk started the day at eight under, two shots behind overnight leaders McDowell and YE Yang of Korea.
In the final group, McDowell birdied the 16th to get to 11-under but missed a birdie opportunity on 17, leaving Westwood with the most realistic chance of catching Furyk.
The Englishman, needing a birdie to tie, left his second shot from the middle of the fairway pushed up against the right fringe of the green.
Needing to hope out to force a play-off, Westwood caught a break when he asked for a ruling on an unplayable stance caused by a recessed sprinkler head and after a lengthy discussion with an official won a drop.
That left him still up against the longer grass but able to putt instead of chip - although Westwood’s effort was pushed wide and left with a short par putt, he missed and had to settle for a 70 at 11-under.
That left McDowell as the only man left able to tie with Furyk and he nearly pulled it off, sending his second shot to within two feet of the hole. It was not enough, however, to prevent Furyk picking up his first win of the year.
McDowell explained: “I was certainly playing nothing-to-lose golf this weekend.
“I just felt fortunate to be here anyway, so I really was going out today just trying to play as well as I possibly could and see where that left me.
“The set-up birdie at the last was probably pretty big from a world rankings point of view.”
Harrington experienced a real see-saw round - a birdie at the last giving him a final round 70 which left him 11-under.
Latest World Rankings:
1 Tiger Woods 15.46pts
2 Phil Mickelson 8.68
3 Steve Stricker 7.00
4 Lee Westwood 6.85
5 Pádraig Harrington 5.85
6 Jim Furyk 5.79
7 Henrik Stenson 5.65
8 Paul Casey 5.64
9 Kenny Perry 5.00
10 Sergio Garcia 4.98
11 Rory McIlroy 4.93
12 Ian Poulter 4.81
13 Martin Kaymer 4.72
14 Geoff Ogilvy 4.63
15 Stewart Cink 4.47
16 Sean O'Hair 4.44
17 Ernie Els 4.31
18 Ross Fisher 4.12
19 Retief Goosen 4.05
20 Lucas Glover 4.01
38 Graeme McDowell
