Woods triumphs over Daly in play-off
Montgomerie carded a final round of 70 at Harding Park for an eight-under total of 272, two adrift of John Daly and Tiger Woods.
Woods then claimed his sixth tournament of the year when Daly three-putted the second extra hole from 18 feet, the world number one’s 11th win in 21 World Golf Championship events.
It was also Woods’ fourth American Express title in six attempts and takes his earnings to £7.7million from WGC events alone.
Montgomerie missed a numberof birdie chances on the back nine before eventually holing from 12ft on the 17th to lie just one shot off the lead.
But a bogey on the 18th dropped him from outright third into a tie with Sweden’s Henrik Stenson and Spain’s Sergio Garcia.
The 42-year-old Scot, who won his first title for 19 months in the Dunhill Links on Sunday, had the consolation of moving around £90,000 ahead of US Open champion Michael Campbell in the money list with three events remaining.
Montgomerie said: “I played great on the back nine and got nothing out of it. I hit some great shots in there and played it level par. It’s disappointing really but I would have taken third before we came.
“The last hole is dead against me. If I was to build a golf hole I would build it the other way. It’s a hooker’s hole and I’m a fader.
“I came here to try to do a few things and I achieved them. I am coming away very positive and can take it on next week in Madrid.
“It feels fantastic to go top of the Order of Merit. I had a goal at the start of the week to overtake Michael and get some more Ryder Cup points, which I achieved.”
Daly held a one-shot cushion overnight and had extended that to two by the turn with two birdies and one bogey in an outward half of 34.
But Woods, despite being far from his best, rolled in a hat-trick of birdies from the 10th to ensure Daly would not have it all his own way.
Daly responded superbly with a chip in from 60ft for a birdie on the 13th to regain the lead, and moments later Woods, playing in the group ahead, bogeyed the 14th to gift Daly some breathing space.
Woods, in his first event since suffering a rib injury in the Presidents Cup, then birdied the 16th from 3ft to close the gap and when Daly three-putted from 30ft to bogey the 17th, the pair were tied at 10 under.
Both players parred the first extra hole and when Woods left his 25ft birdie putt inches short on the next, the par-four 16th, Daly had a putt to land his biggest title since the Open in 1995. But the 39-year-old raced his putt 3ft past and missed the return to gift the title to Woods.
England’s David Howell continued his superb run of form with a final round 67 to set the clubhouse target on five under. Howell, sixth in his last WGC event in the NEC Invitational on his return from a two-month injury lay-off, saw his chances of victory disappear with a third round 74 but bounced back with his third 67 of the week.
Graeme McDowell also had cause to rue yesterday’s third round, in particular the quadruple-bogey eight he ran up on the 18th when lying one shot off the lead.
The Northerner, who also missed part of the season through injuries suffered in a car crash, closed with a 68 to finish alongside Howell on five under.
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