PALM HARBOR, Florida, March 18, 2012 (AFP) - Britain's Luke Donald sank a six-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole Sunday to win a four-man playoff at the US PGA Transitions Championship and reclaim the World No. 1 ranking.
Donald had surrendered the top spot to Rory McIlroy just two weeks ago but ended the Northern Ireland prodigy's reign by capturing the $990,000 crown in the $5.5 million event, the Englishman's final tuneup for next month's Masters.
Hoping to finally capture his elusive first major title at Augusta National next month, reigning US and European prize money champion Donald took his tension-packed triumph in stride.
"It's another step in the right direction to winning majors," Donald said. "This is prefect preparation -- two weeks off now and looking toward Augusta."
Donald, South Korean rookie Bae Sang-Moon and Americans Jim Furyk and Robert Garrigus finished 72 holes deadlocked for the lead at 13-under par 271 at the Innisbrook resort's Copperhead course.
The playoff took place on the par-4 18th hole, with Donald the only player to find the dense rough off the tee. Donald blasted his approach six feet from the hole but Garrigus put his second shot only seven feet from the cup.
After Bae and Furyk missed long birdie putts, Garrigus pushed his birdie bid just left of the cup, setting the stage for a dramatic birdie putt that brought reigning US and European PGA money champion Donald his first US playoff win.
"I certainly was a lot more nervous the first time trying to get to No. 1," Donald said. "This time I was just focused on winning the tournament and it all worked out."
South African star Ernie Els, needing a victory to secure a berth in next month's Masters, led by a stroke at the 17th tee but a bogey-bogey finish left him level fifth with Americans Jeff Overton, Scott Piercy and Ken Duke on 272.
At one stage in the final holes of regulation play, six players shared the lead. Garrigus birdied four of the last five holes to finish a round of 64 for the clubhouse lead while rivals were just starting on the back nine.
"I just needed the putter to wake up and it finally came through for me," Garrigus said.
Furyk, a co-leader after 54 holes, eagled the par-5 first and answered a bogey at the second with a birdie at the par-5 fifth. He birdied the par-5 11th but took a bogey at the par-3 13th and finished on 69 to reach the playoff.
Donald made back-to-back birdies at the fifth and sixth and closed the front nine with a birdie that started a run of three birdies in a row to grab a share of the lead, then parred the last seven holes to join the playoff with a 66.
Bae, after birdies in three of the prior four holes, hit the ball into the pine trees left off the sixth tee and took a bogey to fall back, but he began the back nine with a birdie that put him in the lead pack. He shot a 68 Sunday.
At his 72nd hole, Bae went six feet past the cup on a 30-foot birdie putt, then sank a tense par putt to join the playoff.
Els sought a triumph or strong effort to qualify for the Masters but found only heartache with victory in his grasp.
The three-time major champion opened with a birdie and made another at the fifth, then made three birdies in a row starting at the par-3 eighth to match Furyk for the lead.
Els birdied the par-4 12th to reach 14-under and had a four-foot birdie putt at the par-4 16th to boost his lead but missed. Then he hit his tee shot into a tree at the par-3 17th and took his third birdie of the week at the hole.
At 18, Els pulled a four-foot par putt just left of the cup to doom his title quest, finishing with a 67 and a win drought of nearly two years.
South African Retief Goosen, who shared the lead with Furyk after 54 holes despite nagging back pain, opened with a double bogey and made bogeys on two of the next four holes to fall out of contention, finishing on 277.
Leading scores on Sunday after the final round of the $5.5 million US PGA Transitions Championship (USA unless noted, par-71, Donald won with a birdie on the first playoff hole):
271 - Robert Garrigus 67-72-68-64, Luke Donald (ENG) 67-68-70-66, Bae Sang-Moon (KOR) 69-66-68-68, Jim Furyk 66-70-66-69
272 - Scott Piercy 69-68-73-62, Jeff Overton 68-69-69-66, Ernie Els (RSA) 70-67-68-67, Ken Duke 68-67-69-68
273 - Bo Van Pelt 70-68-69-66
274 - Matt Kuchar 73-67-69-65, Webb Simpson 68-69-69-68, Kevin Streelman 68-69-69-68, Jason Dufner 66-66-71-71
275 - Charley Hoffman 69-71-67-68, Chris DiMarco 70-67-69-69
276 - Geoff Ogilvy (AUS) 72-68-70-66, Michael Thompson 68-70-71-67, Bud Cauley 68-71-69-68, Sergio Garcia (ESP) 68-68-70-70
277 - Bryce Molder 67-71-73-66, Louis Oosthuizen (RSA) 73-68-68-68, Jerry Kelly 69-68-71-69, Jason Day (AUS) 69-72-67-69, Padraig Harrington (IRL) 61-73-72-71, David Toms 67-72-67-71, Chez Reavie 68-70-67-72, John Mallinger 72-66-66-73, Retief Goosen (RSA) 69-68-65-75