South Carolina - American Brandt Snedeker won The Heritage in a playoff with overnight leader Luke Donald on Sunday, denying the Briton the chance to become world No 1 for the first time on Monday.
Snedeker clinched his second PGA Tour title at the third extra hole, the par-four 18th, where he safely parred after narrowly missing a birdie attempt from 15 feet.
Englishman Donald bogeyed the hole after hitting his approach into a greenside bunker from where he was unable to get up and down from a buried lie, lipping out with his par chip from the fringe.
In late afternoon sunshine at Harbour Town Golf Links, the first two playoff holes were halved in nerve-jangling fashion as Snedeker and Donald each began birdie, par.
Donald pumped his right fist in delight after sinking a downhill birdie putt from 12 feet at the first extra hole, also the 18th, before the American followed suit from 10 feet.
They then parred the short 17th, Donald getting up and down from the front greenside bunker and Snedeker two-putting from just off the green.
The pair had finished the 72 regulation holes on 12-under-par 272, world No 3 Donald parring the last for a one-under 70 and Snedeker closing with a sizzling nine-birdie 64.
American Tommy Gainey, bidding for his maiden PGA Tour victory, finished alone in third place at 11 under after closing with a 68.
A stroke in front going into the final round, Donald slipped back early on to trail two different leaders – Snedeker and American Ricky Barnes – on a wildly fluctuating afternoon before regaining his poise on the back nine.
He knocked in an 18-foot birdie putt at the 13th to draw level with Snedeker at 12 under and then narrowly missed a birdie opportunity from seven feet at the 16th to claim the outright lead.
Donald again seemed to be in trouble at the last where his approach ended up in the front bunker but he coolly got up and down from there to take the tournament into a playoff.
Snedeker, a distant six strokes off the pace after the third round, birdied five of the first seven holes before reaching the turn in six-under 30 to surge into title contention.
Although he failed to maintain that red-hot momentum over the back nine, he knocked in a 12-footer to birdie the last and hold the clubhouse lead at 12 under.
Snedeker then had to wait for almost two hours to see if he would be overhauled by any of the later starters.
Final round scores :
272 - *Brandt Snedeker 69-67-72-64, Luke Donald (GBR) 67-65-70-70
273 - Tommy Gainey 71-67-67-68
274 - Tim Herron 65-71-71-67, Ricky Barnes 71-67-67-69
276 - Nick O'Hern (AUS) 70-66-72-68, Ben Crane 69-66-71-70, Pat Perez 71-67-68-70
277 - Kevin Na 70-68-73-66, Paul Goydos 72-67-70-68, Garrett Willis 64-69-74-70, Jason Day (AUS) 69-65-71-72, Scott Verplank 67-70-67-73
278 - Aaron Baddeley (AUS) 70-68-69-71
279 - Fredrik Jacobson (SWE) 69-71-71-68, Bi-o Kim (KOR) 71-69-74-65, Brian Davis (ENG) 68-74-68-69, Brendon de Jonge (ZIM) 67-71-66-75
280 - Ryuji Imada (JPN) 70-71-69-70, Carl Pettersson (SWE) 71-69-69-71
281 - Ian Poulter (GBR) 69-66-75-71, Stephen Ames (CAN) 72-68-69-72, Camilo Villegas (COL) 66-68-74-73
282 - Alex Cejka (GER) 69-73-70-70, David Hearn (CAN) 72-70-69-71
283 - Nathan Green (AUS) 69-69-74-71, Trevor Immelman (RSA) 69-71-71-72
284 - Greg Chalmers (AUS) 74-65-71-74
285 - Graeme McDowell (NIR) 68-69-74-74
287 - Steve Elkington (AUS) 68-72-74-73, Arjun Atwal (IND) 65-73-72-77
292 - Charlie Wi (KOR) 72-70-73-77
*Snedeker wins with par on third playoff hole
Snedeker clinched his second PGA Tour title at the third extra hole, the par-four 18th, where he safely parred after narrowly missing a birdie attempt from 15 feet.
Englishman Donald bogeyed the hole after hitting his approach into a greenside bunker from where he was unable to get up and down from a buried lie, lipping out with his par chip from the fringe.
In late afternoon sunshine at Harbour Town Golf Links, the first two playoff holes were halved in nerve-jangling fashion as Snedeker and Donald each began birdie, par.
Donald pumped his right fist in delight after sinking a downhill birdie putt from 12 feet at the first extra hole, also the 18th, before the American followed suit from 10 feet.
They then parred the short 17th, Donald getting up and down from the front greenside bunker and Snedeker two-putting from just off the green.
The pair had finished the 72 regulation holes on 12-under-par 272, world No 3 Donald parring the last for a one-under 70 and Snedeker closing with a sizzling nine-birdie 64.
American Tommy Gainey, bidding for his maiden PGA Tour victory, finished alone in third place at 11 under after closing with a 68.
A stroke in front going into the final round, Donald slipped back early on to trail two different leaders – Snedeker and American Ricky Barnes – on a wildly fluctuating afternoon before regaining his poise on the back nine.
He knocked in an 18-foot birdie putt at the 13th to draw level with Snedeker at 12 under and then narrowly missed a birdie opportunity from seven feet at the 16th to claim the outright lead.
Donald again seemed to be in trouble at the last where his approach ended up in the front bunker but he coolly got up and down from there to take the tournament into a playoff.
Snedeker, a distant six strokes off the pace after the third round, birdied five of the first seven holes before reaching the turn in six-under 30 to surge into title contention.
Although he failed to maintain that red-hot momentum over the back nine, he knocked in a 12-footer to birdie the last and hold the clubhouse lead at 12 under.
Snedeker then had to wait for almost two hours to see if he would be overhauled by any of the later starters.
Final round scores :
272 - *Brandt Snedeker 69-67-72-64, Luke Donald (GBR) 67-65-70-70
273 - Tommy Gainey 71-67-67-68
274 - Tim Herron 65-71-71-67, Ricky Barnes 71-67-67-69
276 - Nick O'Hern (AUS) 70-66-72-68, Ben Crane 69-66-71-70, Pat Perez 71-67-68-70
277 - Kevin Na 70-68-73-66, Paul Goydos 72-67-70-68, Garrett Willis 64-69-74-70, Jason Day (AUS) 69-65-71-72, Scott Verplank 67-70-67-73
278 - Aaron Baddeley (AUS) 70-68-69-71
279 - Fredrik Jacobson (SWE) 69-71-71-68, Bi-o Kim (KOR) 71-69-74-65, Brian Davis (ENG) 68-74-68-69, Brendon de Jonge (ZIM) 67-71-66-75
280 - Ryuji Imada (JPN) 70-71-69-70, Carl Pettersson (SWE) 71-69-69-71
281 - Ian Poulter (GBR) 69-66-75-71, Stephen Ames (CAN) 72-68-69-72, Camilo Villegas (COL) 66-68-74-73
282 - Alex Cejka (GER) 69-73-70-70, David Hearn (CAN) 72-70-69-71
283 - Nathan Green (AUS) 69-69-74-71, Trevor Immelman (RSA) 69-71-71-72
284 - Greg Chalmers (AUS) 74-65-71-74
285 - Graeme McDowell (NIR) 68-69-74-74
287 - Steve Elkington (AUS) 68-72-74-73, Arjun Atwal (IND) 65-73-72-77
292 - Charlie Wi (KOR) 72-70-73-77
*Snedeker wins with par on third playoff hole