Tiger Woods won a record seventh WGC-Bridgestone Invitational title on Sunday, overhauling Padraig Harrington with a sizzling burst of scoring before benefiting from a late collapse by the Irishman.
The American world number one fired a five-under-par 65 on a breezy, humid day at Firestone Country Club to clinch his 70th PGA Tour victory, and fifth of the year, by four strokes.
Trailing playing partner Harrington by three overnight, Woods took control by covering the front nine in a spectacular five-under 30 on the way to a 12-under total of 268.
The Irishman regained a one-shot cushion with three holes remaining before his title bid unravelled with a triple-bogey at the par-five 16th after the duo had been put on the clock for slow play.
A closing 72 earned him a share of second place with Australian Robert Allenby (66).
Masters champion Angel Cabrera of Argentina signed off with a 67 to tie for fourth at seven under with American Hunter Mahan (66) in the elite World Golf Championships (WGC) event.
"I just knew that I had to get off to a quick start somehow and I was able to do that," Woods told reporters after sinking a six-foot birdie putt on the 18th green.
"But Paddy was just hanging in there, never made a mistake. He made a nice birdie at 11, then I made two mistakes at 13, 14. Paddy made a great par at 14 to take the lead. Until 16 it was just a great battle."
The title was decided in dramatic style at the 16th where Woods benefited from an extraordinary four-shot swing.
After pulling his tee shot left into trees, Woods conjured a scintillating birdie by playing safely out on to the fairway before striking an eight-iron from 178 yards to a foot.
Harrington, who had found the right rough off the tee, ended up in tangly grass behind the green for his third before his fourth bounced across the putting surface into a pond.
Having taken a penalty drop, he again found the greenside rough before getting up and down from there for an eight to hand Woods a three-stroke lead.
"If you're put on the clock, you always want to be nicely in position so you're not having to think too much," Harrington said. "I got out of position with my tee shot, my second shot and my third shot.
"I had an awkward fourth shot. I had to go after it and probably rushed that a bit, as well. That was the end of that."
Most of the final round boiled down to a mouth-watering duel between Woods and Harrington in front of huge galleries.
The fast-starting Woods clawed back two shots at the par-five second where he conjured a brilliant eagle, hitting a five-wood to 24 feet and coolly sinking the curling putt.
He then produced successive dagger blows, ramming in birdie putts from 13 and 27 feet at the fourth and fifth to take the lead for the first time.
Another birdie followed at the ninth, where Woods struck a superb approach to seven feet, as the world number one reached the turn two strokes clear at 12 under.
Three-times major winner Harrington, who had parred the first 10 holes, finally registered a birdie by sinking an eight-footer at the 11th to trim Woods' lead to one.
Woods then faltered with consecutive bogeys from the 13th to drop one behind Harrington, who did well to save par at the 14th by rolling in a 14-foot putt. One ahead with three holes to play, the Irishman's victory hopes then disappeared.
Jeev Milkha ends tied 64th
Meanwhile Jeev Milkha Singh returned his worst card of the week, a six-over 76, to sign off a disappointing tied 64th.
The seasoned Indian ended his campaign with a total of nine-over 289.
On a disastrous day, Jeev stumbled to a bogey on the very first hole before dropping three more strokes to make the turn four-over.
The back-nine was no better as Jeev found bogeys on the 13th and 15th holes and though he managed a couple of birdies in the next two holes, a double bogey on the 18th brought him back to square one.
