Japanese triumph as Americans collapse

Japan won golf's World Cup for the first time since 1957 after American stars Phil Mickelson and David Toms double-bogeyed the final hole in Mexico.

Shigeki Maruyama 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 Vista Vallarta's 429-yard last - after playing the first 17 in a dazzling nine under par.

Mickelson pulled his drive into the rough and Toms, from an awkward lie in the rough, pulled their second into the hazard left of the green.

After thinking about playing the ball off the rocks Mickelson took a penalty drop, but then chipped 20 feet past the hole and Toms' miss left the Japanese pair the luxury of a closing bogey.

They parred it, however, for a 66 and 36-under-par total of 252, winning the million-dollar first prize by two.

Ireland's Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley, winners in 1997, were joint eighth, their hopes disappearing with a double bogey six at the seventh.