Nick Watney wins 'battle of the chokers' at WGC-Cadillac

At the US Open last June Johnson led by three with a round to play and, with an 82, opened the door for Graeme McDowell to become a major champion.

Then two months later Watney was three in front with a round to go at the US PGA, but shot 81 and allowed Martin Kaymer to capture the title.

In the second of this season's world championships, though, Watney closed with a brilliant birdie and a five-under par 67 for a two-stroke victory.

Scotland's Martin Laird closed with a disappointing 73 to finish down the field on eight-under.

Joint third on 13-under were Dane Anders Hansen and Italian Francesco Molinari - not the two expected to lead Europe's challenge with a round to go.

Hansen, home in 32, shot 67 and Molinari, winner of the last stroke play world championship in Shanghai last November a 69.

What Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy, Padraig Harrington and Laird would have given for either of those scores.

Donald was in the last group with Johnson and even after a trip to the water on the third was only one behind when he turned in 34. But he then bogeyed the 11th and 13th and ended up in a tie for sixth.

McIlroy was joint second with Donald when he opened with a birdie, but found bunker after bunker on the following holes and showed his frustration by throwing a club ahead of him on the ninth tee.

The 21-year-old managed only a 74 and finished joint tenth with Harrington, Laird and also Tiger Woods, whose joint best-of-the-day 66 offers huge encouragement for him with The Masters only three weeks away.

Harrington had started with a 15-foot eagle putt to be in a tie for second as well, but was twice in the water for a triple bogey seven at the third and could not make up lost ground.

Watney made his move with three successive birdies from the eighth and came back from a bogey at the next with a pitch to four feet at the long 12th.

Just as important were par-saving efforts from 17 feet on the 13th and 24 feet at the 15th - and then, one ahead thanks to Johnson bogeying the 16th, came his dream finish.

Returning to the hole where he had gone in the water and taken six in the third round, the 29-year-old world No 31 hit two perfect shots to 12 feet and rolled in the putt.

Woods said: "It's just one of those things where as the week progressed this week I felt like I hit a lot of good shots, but then I would get side-tracked for a little bit.

"I didn't really know what the fix was a couple of times, but today I hit a lot of good golf shots and when I did mis-hit one I knew what the fix was right away.

"That feels good and I got up and down a lot. Those are key to be able to keep the momentum in the rounds going. It feels overall really good. My trajectory is becoming better and the shapes of my shots are getting tighter.

"The driver is still not quite there. I'm not quite shaping the golf ball like I want to yet, but I'm hitting it flush again, so that's just a matter of time before that comes around.

"I'm putting the pieces together. Everything is kind of shaping up and heading in the right direction and peaking right at the right time."Of still not being in contention he added: "Of course it bothers me. I want to win golf tournaments - that's the whole idea of entering events.

"But I showed positive signs for the next time I play. Every tournament that I've played this year, I've felt better coming out of it, even though the results have not been good."

Asked if he felt on track for Augusta he replied: "Oh yeah."