Geoff Ogilvy reflects on 129 hole victory - Accenture Match Play Championship 2006

Had it not been for a missed six-footer by one of the game's best putters in the second round, Australia's Geoff Ogilvy would not have won the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship final on Sunday.

Ogilvy ended up beating compatriot Nick O'Hern after 21 holes on the second day at La Costa Resort and Spa, having been convinced on the previous hole that he was about to exit the tournament.

"Nick O'Hern had a putt (to win) on the second (extra) hole from about six feet and he doesn't miss putts like that," Ogilvy told reporters after clinching his second PGA Tour title with a 3&2 victory over American Davis Love III.

"If he's not the best putter in the world, he's probably very close.

"The previous five or six holes, I felt like I outplayed Nick and he kept making putt after putt on top of me.

"I had to hit a bomb to go down the next hole. I had my hat in my hand, I was ready. I thought it was all over."

Ogilvy, who booked his place in the elite field of 64 at La Costa by winning the Tucson Classic 12 months before, completed a tournament record of 129 holes over the five days.

He needed a marathon 80 holes to win his first four matches at La Costa and, by his own admission, enjoyed several doses of good fortune along the way.

"It's the kind of tournament you can play well and be going home after 12 or 13 holes or you can play poorly and stay in it," the 28-year-old said.

"You just have to take it one day at a time. I dodged a lot of bullets earlier in the week. But the last two rounds, I played pretty well and got them done early, which is nice."

Ogilvy, who will climb into the world's top 30 when the official rankings are announced on Monday, admitted he had matured greatly as a player since turning professional in 1998.

"I wasn't very good at controlling my emotions before, you know," he said. "Not really the anger stuff, because I don't think anger really affects you that much.

"I mean, Tiger (Woods) is probably as angry as anyone out there but he keeps it under control and it doesn't affect his next shot.

"With me, the negativity in there was pretty impressive negativity sometimes. It was pretty embarrassing what I said to myself. I was hopeless.

"I'm still not the best out there but I'm getting a lot better."

Despite winning the biggest cheque of his career with a first prize of $1.3 million at La Costa, Ogilvy is confident his goals will remain unchanged.

"I've always hoped to contend in major championships and win major championships, and that hasn't really changed," he said.

"Anyone who plays at our level, that's their goal. It doesn't change because of today. Maybe winning here makes me feel better about my chances to do it.

"I always knew I had it in me, I'm just a slow learner," added Ogilvy, who became the second Australian to claim an individual World Golf Championships (WGC) title, after 2002 NEC-Invitational champion Craig Parry.

"I've made some petty good plays this week, made a lot of putts when I needed to make them, and made some good shots when I needed to make then. You can only gain confidence from that."