July 11, 2006	Tuesday	Jumadi-ul-Sani 14, 1427

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LEMONT (Illinois), July 10: South African Trevor Immelman claimed his first US PGA Tour title when he held off world number one Tiger Woods to win the Western Open on Sunday.

Immelman clinched victory by sinking a 30-foot breaking putt for birdie at the last to complete a round of 67 for a total of 13-under 271, two clear of Woods and Australian Mathew Goggin.

Woods mounted a back-nine charge with four birdies to move within one stroke of Immelman, before the South African sealed his win.

The 26-year-old Immelman, twice a runner-up on the US Tour in May, fell to the ground after the birdie putt dropped and rolled on to his back in glee.

The young South African showed he had the nerve to hold off a host of challengers.

Immelman snapped a four-way tie for the lead with a birdie at the 10th hole. A few minutes later, six players were knotted at 10-under, one shot behind.

Woods stayed in the hunt as did Goggin and third-round leader Vijay Singh, all three at 11-under in the closing stretch.

Immelman made a tap-in birdie at the par-five 15th and a 10-foot putt at 16 for birdie to boost his lead to two shots.

A bogey at 17, where his tee shot settled against the collar of deep rough, closed the gap to one, setting up Immelman's dramatic finish.

Leading final round scores:

271 – Trevor Immelman (South Africa) 69, 66, 69, 67.

273 – Tiger Woods (US) 72, 67, 66, 68; Mathew Goggin (Australia) 69, 69, 66, 69.

275 – Tim Clark (South Africa) 70, 71, 68, 66; Stephen Leaney (Australia) 67, 70, 70, 68; Jim Furyk (US) 69, 67, 69, 70; Stewart Cink (US) 71, 64, 69, 71; Vijay Singh (Fiji) 67, 67, 68, 73; Carl Pettersson (Sweden) 69, 70, 65, 71.

276 – Jason Gore (US) 70, 67, 69, 70; Scott Gutschewski (US) 70, 66, 69, 71.

277 – Kenny Perry (US) 71, 69, 70, 67; Stuart Appleby (Australia) 68, 69, 72, 68; Heath Slocum (US) 70, 68, 69, 70.

278 – Robert Garrigus (US) 72, 64, 73, 69; Tag Ridings (US) 70, 72, 65, 71; Lucas Glover (US) 66, 70, 70, 72; Steve Lowery (US) 71, 67, 68, 72.

279 – Daisuke Maruyama (Japan) 70, 71, 72, 66; Justin Rose (Britain) 71, 71, 65, 72.

280 – Bubba Dickerson (US) 70, 67, 73, 70; Zach Johnson (US) 68, 69, 72, 71; Charley Hoffman (US) 70, 68, 71, 71; Rich Beem (US) 72, 67, 70, 71; Brian Davis (Britain) 70, 71, 68, 71; Luke Donald (Britain) 70, 67, 71, 72; Adam Scott (Australia) 72, 68, 68, 72; Robert Damron (US) 69, 67, 71, 73; Stephen Ames (Canada) 68, 68, 70, 74.

DODD TRIUMPHS

STRAFFAN (Ireland): Britain's Stephen Dodd recorded his third European Tour success and his first of the season when he took the European Open by two strokes on Sunday.

Welshman Dodd, 39, birdied two of the last three holes in the final round, to shoot a two-under-par 70 in high winds at the K Club, totalling nine-under 279.

He finished ahead of the overnight leader Jose Manuel Lara of Spain and another Briton, Anthony Wall.

Leading final round scores:

279 – Stephen Dodd (Britain) 67, 69, 73, 70.

281 – Jose Manuel Lara (Spain) 72, 68, 67, 74; Anthony Wall (Britain) 70, 68, 70, 73.

282 – Simon Khan (Britain) 68, 73, 68, 73; Paul McGinley (Ireland) 75, 71, 67, 69; Jeev Milkha Singh (India) 70, 68, 74, 70; Graeme Storm (Britain) 70, 73, 69, 70; Lee Westwood (Britain) 70, 75, 67, 70.

283 – Bradley Dredge (Britain) 65, 70, 75, 73; Simon Dyson (Britain) 69, 74, 71, 69; Peter Hanson (Sweden) 68, 74, 69, 72; Colin Montgomerie (Britain) 69, 71, 72, 71.—Reuters