Stewart Cink, named as a wild card for America’s Ryder Cup team last Monday, made captain Hal Sutton feel even better about his choice when he won the NEC world championship in Akron.
Leader since an opening 63 which equalled the lowest round of his career, Cink held off the chasing pack with a closing level par 70 to collect the 1.2million dollars (£660,000) first prize by four shots with an 11 under total of 270.
World number one Tiger Woods, despite spraying more drives, and South African Rory Sabbatini shared second, with Lee Westwood and German Alex Cejka the leading Europeans in a tie for ninth.