LEMONT, Ill. -- Trevor Immelman birdied the 18th hole and held off Tiger Woods and Matthew Goggin to win the Western Open on Sunday for his first PGA Tour victory.
Immelman needed to par the 18th to win. Instead, he knocked in a 32-foot putt for a birdie, putting him at 13-under 271 for the tournament - two strokes ahead of Woods and Goggin.
Vijay Singh, the leader through three rounds, was 2 over for the day to fall out of contention. Singh and defending champion Jim Furyk finished at 9 under, along with Tim Clark, Stephen Leaney, Stewart Cink and Carl Pettersson.
Singh was listed as a -120 favorite heading into the final day at bet365.com.
Phil Mickelson shot 71 and finished 3 over in his first tournament since the U.S. Open, where a double-bogey on the final hole cost him the championship.
Called the Western Open since 1899, the second-oldest tournament in the U.S. will get a new name - the BMW Championship - and become part of the PGA Tour`s season-ending series next year. It will be played at Cog Hill in 2007, then rotate out of the Chicago area on alternate years.
Immelman birdied the 15th and 16th holes to go to 13 under. He let out a grin after hitting a 10-foot putt on 16.
The South African, who has four European tour victories, bogeyed 17 but made up for it on the 18th and finished at 4-under-par 67 for the day.
Woods bogeyed the first hole Sunday and was 1 over through nine, but got it going after the turn.
His tee shot on the par-3 12th landed within 2 feet of the hole, and Woods tapped it in for his second straight birdie. He was at 10 under and within a stroke of the lead after a birdie on the par-3 14th.
His second shot on the par-5 15th sailed wide right into the crowd, but Woods managed to save par. A chip shot from the rough rolled past the hole, and he made a 15-foot putt.
Woods sank a 23-foot putt for birdie on No. 16, putting him at 11 under. The crowd roared, and he pumped his right arm after the ball fell into the cup. But it wasn`t enough to catch Immelman.
Woods charged into contention with a good second round and a better third round after opening the tournament at 1 over. He shot 4 under on Friday and made a big jump with a 5 under Saturday.
This was Woods` first tournament since the U.S. Open, when he missed the cut in a major for the first time in 10 years as a professional while still reeling from the death of his father in May.
He put in extra time on the range at Cog Hill, and it helped.
Immelman wouldn`t go away, though.
Singh missed a short putt for par and bogeyed the second hole. He sank a 35-footer for a birdie on the par-4 third, but he bogeyed the fourth and eighth holes and was 2 over through nine.
Mickelson made it clear throughout the week that his mind was on the British Open later this month. He spent a few days at home with his family after the U.S. Open, then practiced at Royal Liverpool.
He is scheduled to head back there on Tuesday.
He usually plays the week before a major. Not this time.
Mickelson thinks he`ll get more out of practicing at Royal Liverpool than he would playing elsewhere. He tied for 60th at St. Andrews and won the PGA last year, captured the green jacket at the Masters in April and was in position to win his third straight major. Then, the double-bogey.
