Weir wins as Westwood gains money title

Canadian Mike Weir kept his nerve to earn the one-million-dollar prize at the season-ending Valderrama World Golf Championship on Sunday as Tiger Woods and other leading players turned the final holes into a comedy of errors.

While Weir carded a final-round 69 to finish with a total of 11-under-par 277, beating European order of merit winner Lee Westwood by two, Woods ended up in his least favourite place in the world -- the bottom of the notorious water hazard in front of the 17th hole.

Woods, who made a seven at the par-five hole to finish in joint fifth, five strokes back, was not the only player to self-destruct there.

Nick Price, at that stage just one shot off the lead, went into the drink twice for a triple-bogey eight.

Mark Calcavecchia, in contention for most of the final day, also made a seven there, as did surprise overnight leader Hidemichi Tanaka of Japan.

The carnage allowed Weir to reach the 18th with a comfortable three-shot lead and also allowed Vijay Singh, with a closing 68, and Duffy Waldorf, with a 69, to steal through the wreckage of the final half-hour to claim joint third place on eight under.

Spain's Sergio Garcia was one shot further back after carding a best-of-day eight-under par 64, including six birdies and an eagle.

Weir's victory showed he had learnt his lesson from the master.

The 30-year-old Canadian, who describes Woods as "by far the best player in the game", had shared the lead with the American going into the final round of the 1999 U.S. PGA only for his game to fall apart.

This time the roles were reversed.

Price, the leader after the first two rounds and hoping for an eagle at the 17th to take the outright lead, hit the water at the front of the green. The 43-year-old Zimbabwean then totally fluffed his next shot, sending it straight back in on his way to a level-par 72.

Woods, who had been hoping to top $10 million in winnings for the season with victory here, fell foul of the same hazard in four of his last five rounds at Valderrama. He also ended up in the water there in the 1997 Ryder Cup with a putt that slipped off the green.

Needing an eagle to tie for the lead with Weir on Sunday, Woods first unleashed a drive into the trees. Then his fourth shot found the putting surface but spun back across the slope.

With no fringe of grass to catch the ball -- a design which has been criticised by many leading players -- the ball accelerated down the bank and into the hazard. To add insult to injury, an impassive Woods also bogeyed the 18th.

Westwood's six at the penultimate hole -- he found the trees with a wild drive but avoided the water -- looked a good score by the end.

He had been in a tight battle with Darren Clarke for the European order of merit crown but his $500,000 for second place gave him the title with lots to spare after the Northern Irishman ended in joint 17th place on two under for the tournament.

Colin Montgomerie, Europe's number one for the past seven years, closed with a 74 for a one-over-par total overall. He had needed to win to have any chance of retaining his title.

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