Furyk victorious after Immelman slip

Jim Furyk, beaten in a play-off at the Wachovia Championship a year ago, won the title in a play-off on Sunday.

The American beat South African Trevor Immelman at the first extra hole after a dramatic climax to the final round at Quail Hollow in Charlotte.

Two clear with five to play and still one ahead with one hole remaining, Immelman found the green at the 478-yard 18th while Furyk was in the rough.

But the Cape Town golfer, seeking his first US Tour victory, three-putted, sending his first attempt 10 feet past the hole, and Furyk made an eight-footer to tie on the 12-under-par total of 276.

While that was happening Retief Goosen, the third member of the group, was in water no fewer than three times for a quintuple bogey nine that dropped him from third to joint 10th and cost him £140,000 (€204,667). Australian Adam Scott finished third instead.

When they returned to the same hole – the toughest on the course – Immelman drove into the right-hand rough and Furyk found a bunker.

But the former US Open champion was the one to save par, holing from four feet for a victory worth £600,000.

The last round tee-off times were brought forward five hours because of a bad weather forecast, but there was a hold-up of 105 minutes before the last few groups teed off and play then continued in heavy rain.

Furyk, one ahead of the two South Africans overnight, lost top spot when he bogeyed the third and Goosen made an 11-footer for birdie.

Immelman matched Goosen’s birdie at the long fifth, then took advantage of his fellow countryman’s drive into water on the par five seventh.

While Goosen could do no better than a bogey six Immelman was on in two and two-putted for birdie, then pitched to five feet on the next to double his advantage.

That went when he drove into trouble at the 421-yard 11th and double-bogeyed, but Goosen missed the fairway at the next and his bogey five dropped him alongside Furyk one behind.

Immelman was two clear once more thanks to a 13-footer on the short 13th, only for Furyk to hit his 132-yard approach to the 14th to four feet.

An eight-footer from the American at the 566-yard 15th brought them level - but only for a few moments. Immelman had pitched to six feet and made it for a matching birdie.

It was a bitterly disappointing last day for Britain’s Justin Rose. After climbing into joint eighth spot with birdies at the second and third Rose crashed to 47th place with an 80 – his worst round since the 81 he had when leading the Masters at Augusta two years ago.

Rose was in some good company. Seven others failed to break 80, among them defending champion Vijay Singh, who triple-bogeyed the last hole for an 81.

That put him into a tie for 38th with Sergio Garcia, whose 75 means he has still to break par in a final round in America this year.

Masters champion Phil Mickelson managed only a 74 and at two over was just one ahead of Singh and Garcia.

Leading European was Jesper Parnevik, round in 71 for three under and 14th place.