Colin Montgomerie suffered another heartbreaking near-miss in a major championship after an extraordinary finish to the US Open at Winged Foot.

Australia's Geoff Ogilvy won his first major title after Phil Mickelson, chasing his third major in succession, threw away a one-shot lead with a double-bogey six on the 18th.

Montgomerie had also double-bogeyed the 18th from the middle of the fairway when a par four would have been good enough for his first major title at the 58th attempt.

A bogey would have meant an 18-hole play-off for Montgomerie with Ogilvy.

Ogilvy's final round of 72 gave him a five-over-par winning total of 285, one ahead of Montgomerie (71), Mickelson (74) and 2003 champion Jim Furyk (70).

Ireland's Padraig Harrington was a shot further back in fifth after a closing 71.

Montgomerie, twice a runner-up in the event and third as far back as 1992, was two shots behind Mickelson as he surveyed a curling 60ft putt on the 17th green.

It looked a tough task even to get down in two for par but the 42-year-old Scot rolled it in for an improbable birdie, just seconds before Mickelson, playing two groups behind, bogeyed the 16th.

The 42-year-old Scot then hit a perfect drive down the 18th but hit a poor approach short of the green. From heavy rough he was only able to pitch to 30ft and then three-putted for a double-bogey six.

Ogilvy then saved par on the 18th to set the clubhouse target, leaving Mickelson needing a par four to win. However, the world number two hit a wild drive which bounced back into play off a marquee to the left of the fairway.

From there his attempted recovery caught a tree and remained in the rough, and his third caught a greenside bunker. From a "fried egg" lie, Mickelson was unable to keep the ball on the green and missed the return chip which would have forced a play-off.

The 18th had been a costly hole all week however, and for no-one more than Harrington.

The Dubliner ran up a triple-bogey seven in his third round, and bogeyed it again in his last round after also dropping shots at the 16th and 17th.

"I'm very disappointed," said Harrington. "Three pars to win the Open. It probably doesn't get any easier than that. I hit three good tee shots and got it in play but that's the way it goes.

"I certainly ruined this one. I was never happy with my game and it just caught me out a little bit at the end. I knew I was there or thereabouts and I was trying to make birdies on the last three holes."

A hugely disappointed Mickelson said: "I'm still in shock that I did that. I'm such an idiot. I just can't believe I couldn't par the last. It really stings. This one hurts more than any tournament because I had it won.

"I had it in my grasp and let it go. This is going to take a while to get over."  PA