Day 4 - final (12/11/00)

Weir blocks Tiger flow

A million thank yous from Mike Weir to Amex CEO Harvey Golub

The Americans were missing, the Spaniards were off form and the man from out of this world was thwarted by the infamous 17th. So it was left to an unheralded Canadian to confound the pundits and win the World Golf Championships - American Express Championship at Valderrama.

One of the few left-handers on any of the major tours, Mike Weir dropped a shot on the last but still had a two-stroke cushion over Lee Westwood, who nevertheless had the ample consolation of overtkaing Darren Clarke and finishing number one on the 2000 European order of merit. Weir, the winner of just one previous tournament on the US Tour, the 1999 Air Canada Championship, collected a cheque for $1 million, while Westwood won one pound from a bet with Clarke in August ("after a few too many drinks"). The Englishman closed with a five-under-par 68 to finish on 279, nine clear of his Irish friend. Reigning US Masters champion Vijay Singh closed with a 68 to take a share of third with Duffy Waldorf on 280; and Sergio García, Padraig Harrington, Nick Price and Tiger Woods were fifth on 281.

Lee Westwood - Second at Valderrama but first in Europe

Asked if he felt slight relief that his seven-season reign as European number one had ended, Colin Montgomerie (289) said an emphatic no, not at all. "Do you think Steve Redgrave would win a silver medal in Sydney and say, 'Thank God. Haven't won a gold'? No."

As for Woods, after his watery mishap on the par-five 17th in 1999 that nearly cost him the title, he refused to be daunted, continued in attack mode and found the water on the first two days when going for the green in two. His perseverance paid off on the third day, but in the final round he hit his third to what seemd like an ideal position for a birdie attempt and watched as the ball rolled back into the water - a la 1999. That was bad enough, but his next shot must have rankled in a different way, because it left a pitch mark barely one metre away from the first but stayed within one and a half metres of the pin. He finished with a double bogey, also bogeyed the 18th and thus failed to top $10 million in US Tour winnings for 2000 or collect a 10th title.

Price, winner of the 1994 British Open and 1992 and 1994 PGA Championships and twice number one on the US money list, was uncompromisingly critical about the Valderrama course, in spite of an opening 63 that was just one shot off Bernhard Langer's course record - and on the final day his distaste was sealed. Just one behind the leader, Weir, approaching the 17th, he twice went into the water for a triple-bogey and slipped off the radar screen, also bogeying the 18th.

For the three Spaniards seeking to become the first home country tournament winner at Valderrama, it was case of too little too late for José María Olazabal and Miguel Angel Jimenez - and much more but also too late for Sergio García.

Sergio, second-best round of the tournament for fifth place.

After carding a pair of 74s following his opening 69, García was never going to win his first tournament of 2000, but he at least partly redeemed himself with a 64, the second best round of the tournament. Three birdies and an eagle (on the fourth) enabled him to go out in 31, and he completed a blemish-free second nine to move into a share of fifth on seven-under-par 281.

José María Olazabal finished 17th on level-par 288 after rounds of 70-76-69-73, while Miguel Angel Jimenez improved each day (74-73-70) but needed considerably more on the final day even to secure a high finish - and could only card an even-par 72 to end up with a share of 25th.

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