Graeme McDowell Wins Chevron World Challenge in Playoff

Graeme McDowell hits his approach shot to the ninth green on Sunday. He parred the hole and finished the first nine holes at 3-under par, gaining 3 strokes on Tiger Woods, his playing partner. (Dan Sanchez/The Epoch Times)

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.—Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland sank a 20-foot putt to birdie the first playoff hole and win the Chevron World Challenge at Sherwood Country Club. Tiger Woods had a chance to match McDowell’s birdie and prolong the playoff but just missed his putt of about 10 feet.

The magic of draining tournament winning putts seemed to have left Woods when he needed it most. But McDowell showed the same grit he needed to win the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and dropped his 20-footer in the center of the cup.

Tiger Woods had a four-stroke lead starting the final day of his charity tournament that helps fund the Tiger Woods Foundation and appeared to be in position to garner his only win of 2010. But he did not bring his “A” game on Sunday and lost a stroke to par with a 73, five strokes more than his round of 68 on Saturday.

And true to the tournament’s history where there has never been a wire-to-wire winner at the Chevron World Challenge, the thee-day front runner Woods failed to win.

Both Woods and McDowell birdied the 18th hole to force the first playoff in tournament history. They both finished at 16-under 272. McDowell played a better 18 holes and finished with a 69 to Woods’s 72. McDowell was the only player in the field with all four rounds in the 60s.

“To play the weekend alongside Tiger, you know, it’s a pretty special feeling to go out there four back and do the job. He was a little cold on the greens today, and I got off to a good start and gave myself the opportunities,” said McDowell.

“It was a great week, even though I didn’t win,” Woods said. “I’m proud of the way I played today even though I lost. We had a good battle out there.”

Paul Casey finished third with a 69 at 12-under 276, and Rory McIlroy was fourth at 11-under 277 after coming back strong with a 68. Hunter Mahan finished fifth with a closing 69 and 278 total.

The 2010 Chevron World Challenge has a total purse of $5.0 million with $1.2 million going to the winner McDowell.