Stewart Cink beat Tom Watson in a play-off to win the 138th Open at Turnberry and complete his maiden major victory.
It was the contest between the evergreen 59-year-old Watson, looking for his sixth Open championship, and Cink, 23 years his junior, seeking his first major.
Watson had defied the odds to lead for the majority of the weekend, and had he holed an eight-footer on the 18th he would won, for what may have been the greatest sporting achievement of all time.
But credit to Cink, who finished two under in regulation to give himself every chance of forcing a play-off at least.
The 23-year age gap was the difference in the end as the immense physical toll took hold, and all Cink's shots held as Watson's faltered.
At the first extra hole, No. 5, both players put their approach shots in greenside bunkers, but only Cink could get up-and-down for par. Watson hit an ugly sand shot that just cleared the lip of the pot bunker, and needed two more putts for a bogey that gave Cink a quick edge.
Watson really fell apart at the third extra hole, the par-5 17th: an errant tee shot, two whacks to get out of the rough, and three putts resulted in a a double-bogey 7. Cink made a routine birdie at the easiest hole on the course.
The 1977 'Duel in the Sun' winner then hit a ghastly tee shot on the 18th that made its way into a group of spectators in a disappointing end to what had been a remarkable four days for the Missouri-born legend.
Cink, in stark contrast, hit an inch-perfect drive that landed straight on the green to set up an easy putt to win.
But Watson finished in dignity by putting in on the 18th green, to bring up one of the biggest cheers of the weekend, before Cink, hardly missing a beat, putted with the minimum of fuss to win.
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