Matt Kuchar wins PGA Players Championship

AMERICAN Matt Kuchar has claimed the US PGA Players Championship and its $A1.7 million winner's cheque.

Kuchar

AMERICAN Matt Kuchar has claimed the US PGA Players Championship and its $A1.7 million winner's cheque.

Kuchar survived a nervous finish after a bogey on the famous 17th hole island green at TPC Sawgrass, but he made a clutch par on the last to shoot a two-under-par 70 and finish at 13-under, good enough to finish two shots clear of four challengers and collect his fourth US PGA Tour victory.

Scotland's Martin Laird (67) and Americans Rickie Fowler (70), Zach Johnson (68) and Ben Curtis (68) shared second place.

Kuchar, starting the final round one behind leader Kevin Na, bogeyed the opening hole but systematically broke down Pete Dye's tough design from then onwards.

He made birdies at four, nine, 12 and 16 to take control of the event and although his three-putt on the 17th caused a few butterflies the 33-year-old held on.

FINAL SCORES

"I'm about to buckle, it's such an amazing feeling," Kuchar said.

"To do it on Mothers Day, while staying with Mum and Dad, it's just magical."

Australian's Geoff Ogilvy and Adam Scott started the final day with the slimmest of hopes but couldn't mount a serious challenge.

Ogilvy shot a decent 69 to take top Australian honours at six-under in a tie for 12th while Scott (71) finished in a tie for 15th at five-under.

Ogilvy started a Sunday climb by making a 36-foot bomb for birdie on the second and then bettered it with an effort from 52-feet off the fringe on the fifth.

The Victorian poured in a 12-footer for another birdie on the 15th and tapped in another a hole later before a three-putt bogey on the 17th blotted the scorecard.

Kuchar

"I played pretty well all week and this is a stepping stone I guess. I'm hitting the ball really well, I just need to make more putts," Ogilvy said.

As the best-placed Australian overnight, Scott needed to come out firing on all cylinders buthe bogeyed the opening hole by three-putting from 39 feet.

Another three-putt bogey on the fourth hole made winning near impossible and despite wiping them out with birdies on the sixth and ninth holes and a further gained shot on the 10th, Scott waved the white flag with a double bogey on the 11th.

Not even three birdies in his next four holes could get him amongst the heavy-hitters and another bogey on 16 finished him off.

"I had some good stuff out there but some horrible mistakes also as I was kind of going for it a bit," Scott said.

"I compounded a few mistakes by not being terribly smart. I played my way almost out of it yesterday and with three doubles in the week it makes it very tough."

Marc Leishman (even, 45th), Rod Pampling (+3, T56) and Robert Allenby (+4, T61) closed out the Australian tilt while Tiger Woods finished in a disappointing tie for 40th with a final round 73.