O8217;Meara chops Woods for title

WENTWORTH, Oct 18: Mark O'Meara added the World Matchplay to his Masters and British Open titles today and became its oldest winner when ...

WENTWORTH, Oct 18: Mark O8217;Meara added the World Matchplay to his Masters and British Open titles today and became its oldest winner when he holed a 15-foot birdie putt from off the last green to beat Tiger Woods by one shot.

Their fluctuating battle in the first all-American final in 23 years turned at the 16th hole of the afternoon round where O8217;Meara, 41, drove into trees but sank a 15-foot par-saving putt and then watched Woods three-putt from eight feet for a bogey.

That left O8217;Meara one ahead but world number one Woods made a brave 10-footer for a matching birdie at the 571-yard 17th to send the contest to the last hole.

Both bunkered their drives, both escaped well and Woods hit his third shot to eight feet.

O8217;Meara8217;s third hit passed the pin but spun back some 25 feet to finish up against a collar of rough off the green 15 feet away.

But he rolled in the putt to seal his victory.

O8217;Meara, who scored a record-breaking 11 and 10 triumph over holder Vijay Singh in yesterday8217;s semifinals, won289,100 and strengthened his position as the world number three behind Woods, and David Duval.

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Woods had taken a three-hole lead into the afternoon round after winning the first three holes of the day, the second with a 20-foot chip-in and the third on a 35-foot birdie putt. He also won the sixth to go four up and made seven birdies during the morning.

O8217;Meara got back to three at the 17th and began chipping further away at the deficit right after the break, winning the first with a birdie from 10 feet and the third when woods bogeyed.

When he won the sixth and seventh with birdies 8212; Woods missed from four feet at the sixth 8212; O8217;Meara was in front for the first time.

It swung back and forth after that. Woods levelled at the ninth with a six-iron approach to a foot and was back in front at the short 10th after a six iron to eight feet.

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But O8217;Meara struck a master shot at the 510-yard 12th, a two-iron second which hit the flagstick and stopped two feet away for an eagle, and he was ahead again aftera nine-foot birdie at the 14th.

A bad drive into the trees cost O8217;Meara the 15th but he survived his poor drive at the next that turned into the crucial hole of the entire match.

Having knocked his eight-foot attempt four feet past the hole, Woods missed again.