American golfer Brandt Snedeker has earned a multi-million-dollar pay day by upstaging the likes of Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods to claim both the US PGA Tour Championship and the season-long FedEx Cup.
Snedeker claimed the $US1.44 million ($A1.39 million) tournament winner’s cheque and a $US10 million ($A9.63 million) bonus for clinching the season-long points race.
The 31-year-old carded a two-under-par 68 in the final round at East Lake Golf Club to finish on 10-under, three clear of Englishman Justin Rose (71).
Englishman Luke Donald (67) and American Ryan Moore (70) shared third place, four shots off the pace at six-under.
Snedeker was brilliant for all but two holes on the final day, collecting five birdies, a bogey and a double bogey in his round to claim the fourth and easily biggest win of his career.
Starting as co-leader with Rose, Snedeker grabbed the early advantage with a birdie on the third hole.
Holding a two-shot lead heading to the sixth after a Rose bogey on five, he suffered his only major headache of the afternoon.
His tee shot faded into the lake and he missed a shortish bogey putt after hitting from the drop zone to drop two shots, although the damage was minimised when Rose bogeyed.
A 40-foot bomb birdie putt on the eighth set him apart again and despite never before winning when leading after 54 holes, Snedeker showed nerves of steel down the stretch.
He birdied the 13th and 15th holes when Moore was making a charge and when the challengers started to fade late he stepped on the throat by chipping in for birdie on the penultimate hole.
A last-hole bogey was nothing but a minor blip on the scorecard.
Australia’s faint hopes of a strong finish never materialised.
Adam Scott shot 72 to finish at three-over-par for the week, a distant 13 shots back in 19th place.
“I was a little bit off and a bit loose this week,” Scott lamented.
“The week off didn’t do me any good as I was playing nice and tight and I just didn’t keep that rhythm going.
“I didn’t really hit it close enough this week. I don’t know why but I just couldn’t get it quite dialled in.”
Fellow Aussie John Senden (75) was back in 26th, 18 off the pace.
Woods and McIlroy, starting four and three off the lead respectively, were expected to make a Sunday charge, but both were extremely disappointing.
Woods faded out of contention with a 72, dropping him into a tie for eighth at two-under.
The world No.2’s chances were seemingly dashed from the opening hole when he snapped hooked his tee shot into trees and started with a bogey.
When he missed a three-foot par save on the fifth the writing was on the wall and it was set in stone when he dunked his tee ball on the sixth in the lake and ended up with a double bogey.
McIlroy seemingly couldn’t buy a good tee shot, hitting just two of 14 fairways on the way to a 74 and a tie for 10th at one-under.