HOUSTON, Nov. 4 (UPI) -- Mike Weir, who cost himself a chance to win in regulation when he bogeyed the 18th hole, birdied it moments later to win a sudden death playoff Sunday and capture the season-ending Tour Championship.
The Canadian defeated Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia and David Toms on the first extra hole by rolling a five-foot putt that brought him the first-place check of $900,000.
The playoff participants finished 72 holes at the Champions Golf Club tied at 14-under 270, one shot in front of Kenny Perry and third-round leader Scott Verplank and two ahead of Jim Furyk, Bob Estes and David Duval. Tiger Woods finished six shots off the lead in a tie for 13th place.
Although Weir has become recognized as one of the world's leading players, Sunday's victory was his first on American soil. He captured his first PGA Tour title last year in Canada and then won the season-ending World Golf Championship event played in Spain.
He shot a 3-under 68 Sunday while Toms had a 67, Garcia a 68 and Els a 68. Weir came to the final hole of regulation with a one-shot advantage, but he drove into the rough, put his second shot just short of a greenside bunker in deep grass and wound up missing a 12-foot par putt.
Garcia barely missed a 15-footer at the final hole that would have given him the win while Els birdied the 18th hole from six feet to get into the playoff.
Verplank, who led for much of the tournament, bogeyed the 17th to fall out of a share of the lead.
Both Garcia and Els drove to the right on the playoff hole, the par-4 18th, while Weir and Toms hit perfect drives. Els hit an amazing second shot over a stand of trees to within 25 feet of the cup while Garcia, stymied by a small magnolia tree, could do no better than put his second shot to within 50 yards on the green -- still in the trees.
Toms hit his second 20 feet from the hole and Weir hit an excellent second to take control of the playoff.
Garcia's third sailed all the way over the green onto the fringe and he almost holed his long putt for par. Els then narrowly missed his putt with his tap-in par officially eliminating Garcia.
Toms never got his putt to the hole and he, too, had to settle for par. That left it up to Weir, who hit the middle of the cup with his birdie effort.
Els was trying to extend a streak of seven straight years with at least one win on the PGA Tour. He went winless this season, as Weir would have done had he not captured the playoff.
