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Padraig Harrington mounted a remarkable late fight-back to eventually overcome Tiger Woods on the second play-off hole at the Dunlop Phoenix tournament in Japan.
The Irishman had found himself three shots back of Woods with six holes to play, but things swung his way on the 16th when, after making a lengthy birdie putt, he saw the world number one miss his regulation three-foot par putt to leave the pair level.
Both men then produced pars at 17 and Harrington showed nerves of steel to sink a testing five-footer for birdie on the last to force a play-off.
They went back down the 18th and once again both men came up with birdies, but at the second time of asking Harrington came up with an audacious moment of magic to clinch victory.
Woods had appeared to be in the driving seat after his opponent's wayward hooked drive had left him blocked behind a stunted pine.
However, Europe's Ryder Cup star bravely blasted his second through a gap in the Y-shaped tree and was rewarded for his courage as his ball took a kind ricochet and bounded on down the fairway.
Harrington put his subsequent pitch to within two feet to all but guarantee birdie, transferring the pressure on to Woods and the American was unable to respond.
He missed his 12-foot birdie putt leaving Harrington to tap in for a thrilling victory.
"When you come up against Tiger you've got to take whatever opportunities are presented," Harrington said of his risky, but ultimately decisive second shot.
"I saw it as a great chance of hitting a spectacular shot to win the playoff and it came off.
"I definitely got lucky but sometimes fortune favours the brave."
Woods had a 14-1 record in official play-offs going into Sunday's showdown with Harrington, but the Irishman insisted he had been unfazed by his rival's pedigree.
"The great thing about stats is that they've got to fall sometimes," he added.
"Sooner or later a stat like that is going to break so just be there to be the one to break it."
Starting the day tied with Harrington on six-under-par, Woods seemed to have taken a stranglehold on proceedings when he made three early birdies.
However, it was not to be for the American who was left to rue his costly missed putt on 16.
"I had my opportunities today," he stated. "I had a two-shot lead with three to go and missed a short one there at 16.
"If I made that putt it forced Paddy (Harrington) to have to birdie one of the last two holes to get into a playoff. It was a poor putt. It probably cost me the tournament."
Home player Keiichiro Fukabori produced the round of the day (64) to sneak up into third and actually held the clubhouse lead until Woods and Harrington birdied 18.
Meanwhile, England's Justin Rose claimed a share of fourth with a superb closing 66 to end up tied with another Japanese player, Shingo Katayama.
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Source: Sky Sports |
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