FORT WORTH (Texas), May 22: American Tim Herron, without a PGA Tour victory since 1999, ended the drought with a playoff success in the $6 million Colonial Championship on Sunday.

Herron edged out Sweden's Richard Johnson with a birdie at the second extra hole after the two men finished level at 12-under-par 268, two shots clear of Australia's Rod Pampling.

Johnson forced the playoff after birdies at 17 and 18 gave him a last round three-under 67. An edgy Herron sank a nine-footer for par at the last and a round of 68.

In the playoff, both men parred the opening hole but a fine second shot at the next left Herron with a 10-foot birdie putt which he duly sank to collect the $1.08 million top prize.

It was Herron's fourth success on the PGA Tour but his first since the Bay Hill Invitational in 1999.

Pampling, joint overnight leader with Herron, lost momentum with a double bogey at 15 and had to settle for a par 70 that left him two strokes out of a playoff.

Leading final round scores:

268 – Tim Herron (US) 67, 65, 68, 68; Richard Johnson (Sweden) 68, 65, 68, 67 (Herron wins on second playoff).

270 – Rod Pampling (Australia) 67, 63, 70, 70.

271 – Stephen Ames (Canada) 65, 66, 77, 63; Ben Crane (US) 71, 65, 71, 64; Brett Quigley (US) 68, 70, 67, 66; Arron Oberholser (US) 65, 68, 71, 67; Stewart Cink (US) 64, 67, 72, 68; Peter Lonard (Australia) 66, 66, 69, 70; Nathan Green (Australia) 67, 67, 67, 70.

272 – Corey Pavin (US) 71, 67, 68, 66.

273 – Brian Gay (US) 67, 67, 73, 66; Jerry Kelly (US) 69, 68, 67, 69; Dean Wilson (US) 67, 65, 71, 70; Nick O'Hern (Australia) 66, 69, 68, 70; Bo Van Pelt (US) 67, 68, 67, 71.

274 – K.J. Choi (South Korea) 70, 69, 72, 63; Jim Furyk (US) 66, 67, 73, 68; Davis Love III (US) 70, 69, 67, 68; Chris Riley (US) 68, 71, 66, 69; Woody Austin (US) 72, 65, 67, 70; Robert Allenby (Australia) 71, 67, 66, 70; Vaughn Taylor (US) 70, 67, 67, 70; Fredrik Jacobson (Sweden) 71, 62, 70, 71.

275 – Fred Couples (US) 70, 68, 70, 67; Shigeki Maruyama (Japan) 69, 68, 70, 68; David Duval (US) 70, 68, 69, 68; Ted Purdy (US) 70, 71, 66, 68; Steve Flesch (US) 69, 68, 67, 71.

BJORN WINS IRISH OPEN

MAYNOOTH (Ireland): Denmark's Thomas Bjorn birdied the last two holes on Monday to win the weather-affected Irish Open title.

Bjorn equalled the European Tour's record best recovery when he came back from a first round 78 to close with a level-par 72 on the tournament's fifth day to total five-under-par 283, a stroke better than Britain's Paul Casey.

The Dane's ninth European Tour title came after a battle of attrition with the weather, high winds on the opening day and torrential rain on Sunday extending the tournament's life.

Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke looked favourite to win when he began the day two strokes ahead of the field on the ninth.

But he bogeyed the hole and with two bogeys in the last three holes, including a three-putt at the 72nd, had to be satisfied with third place, a stroke behind Casey.

Leading final round scores:

283 – Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) 78, 66, 67, 72.

284 – Paul Casey (Britain) 73, 70, 68, 73.

285 – Darren Clarke (Britain) 75, 70, 67, 73.

286 – Peter Hedblom (Sweden) 72, 70, 70, 74.

287 – Bradley Dredge (Britain) 71, 73, 72, 71; Ross Fisher (Britain) 73, 70, 69, 75; Robert Karlsson (Sweden) 74, 68, 72, 73; Maarten Lafeber (Netherlands) 71, 74, 71, 71; Robert Rock (Britain) 75, 73, 68, 71; Anthony Wall (Britain) 73, 68, 70, 76.

288 – Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 71, 74, 69, 74.

289 – Michael Campbell (New Zealand) 72, 73, 71, 73; Robert-Jan Derksen (Netherlands) 72, 74, 68, 75; Jarrod Lyle (Australia) 72, 70, 71, 76.

290 – Philip Archer (Britain) 75, 69, 70, 76; Christian Cevaer (France) 70, 71, 74, 75; Gregory Havret (France) 76, 71, 68, 75; Stuart Little (Britain) 74, 74, 70, 72.—Reuters