Tiger Woods claimed one of the most amazing wins of his amazing career in Akron on Sunday.

Woods captured his third successive NEC world championship and his first title since early June after a seven-hole play-off with American Ryder Cup teammate Jim Furyk.

The world number one, whose million-dollar cheque took his worldwide earnings in five years as a professional to 31 million US dollars, said: "It was an absolute war, but fun to be part of."

The pair had tied on the 12-under-par mark of 268, both bogeying the last hole after going into the same bunker.

Furyk went into the same trap when the play-off started, left his first recovery attempt in, but then dramatically holed out with the next from around 40 feet.

At the second Woods was the one in trouble, but saved himself with a 20-foot putt and then saw Furyk missed putts of 15, 12 and 10 feet for the win.

Both scrambled pars at the fifth extra hole, Woods almost holed from 60 feet on the next as heavy rain arrived - the final round had been brought forward because of the forecast - but then it was settled on the next.

Furyk drove into the trees, could not chip out and was not the green in three. By then, though, Woods had fired in his approach to a foot - reminiscent of his winning shot last year in near total darkness. That one was by 11 shots.

This was very different and Furyk said: "I thought I had won a few times and I thought I had lost a few times.

"I had driven superbly all week, but that last one finished in the worst possible spot."

For Woods it was the 38th win of his career and put him back in the spotlight after a disappointing summer in which he lost three of the four majors he held.

He has played in eight world championships now and won five of them - three NEC Invitationals, one American Express and one World Cup.

Darren Clarke had almost two hours earlier closed with a 69 to earn almost £260,000, while Colin Montgomerie was fourth and picked up £207,397. It was his best finish since he was second at the 1997 US Open.

There was drama too in the mad scramble for the last couple of places in Europe's Ryder Cup team, with Luton's Ian Poulter breaking his driver taking a practice swing on the 16th tee.

Nevertheless, the 25-year-old, switching to his three wood, still birdied the hole and parred the last two and by finishing joint 13th moves up from 12th to 11th in the points standings.

Welshman Phillip Price hung on to 10th spot despite coming only 28th because Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez had a 76 to drop to last in the tournament and 12th in the points list.

Swede Niclas Fasth can now celebrate securing his place at The Belfry next month. Bernhard Langer and Paul McGinley are almost there, but could technically still be knocked out in the final counting event - the BMW International Open in Munich.

Poulter said: "The driver flew off and went about 30 yards - it could have hit anyone.

"It was weird because it was like swinging fresh air all of a sudden.

"The club's been working awesome all week and obviously I'll have to get another next week."

McGinley, joint 26th on four over after a closing 72, said: "I've played poorly the last few days, but battled like hell on a really tough course.

"I've put a lot of effort in the last few months and the tank is empty. There was no acceleration on the pedal when I put the foot down."

He had hoped to take the next two weeks off to recharge batteries, but tonight studied a table which showed that if he did not play in Munich or missed the cut he could just miss out like Eamonn Darcy did in 1991 by taking the last week off assuming he was safe.

Anybody down to Dean Robertson in 23rd place in the table could yet make the team.

In regulation play Woods, two behind with a round to go, was one behind with six to play, but after he birdied the 13th from 15 feet Furyk bogeyed it the lead changed hands.

On the short 15th, however, roles were reversed. Furyk sank a 15-foot birdie putt and Woods three-putted.

Both were side by side 10 feet from the hole putting for birdie on the long 16th, and when Furyk missed and Woods then holed they were level.

In the greenside bunker at the last, Furyk had only just got out when Woods went 18 feet long and both two-putted for bogey to send the event into a play-off.

Collated final totals

(USA unless stated, par 70):

268 T Woods 66 67 66 69 (£691,323), J Furyk 65 66 66 71 (£345,661)

Woods won at seventh play-off hole

271 D Clarke (NIrl) 66 68 68 69 (£259,246)

273 C Montgomerie (Gbr) 66 71 66 70 (£207,397)

274 D Love 68 68 70 68, S Appleby (Aus) 70 64 70 70, P Azinger 67 70 65 72

275 P Mickelson 67 66 70 72, E Els (Rsa) 67 70 66 72

276 R Goosen (Rsa) 72 69 64 71

277 H Sutton 69 71 67 70, B Langer (Ger) 69 67 68 73

278 I Poulter (Gbr) 67 72 69 70, D Toms 68 70 70 70, V Singh (Fij) 68 68 69 73, S Cink 69 67 70 72

279 S Verplank 69 71 70 69, P Fulke (Swe) 73 71 65 70, P Harrington (Irl) 68 66 73 72

280 C Franco (Par) 68 71 68 73

281 N Fasth (Swe) 74 67 68 72, S Hoch 71 70 69 71

282 R Allenby (Aus) 68 67 75 72, S Elkington (Aus) 73 68 73 68

283 M Weir (Can) 69 70 71 73

284 P McGinley (Irl) 68 73 71 72

285 D Duval 69 69 72 75

286 P Price (Gbr) 70 71 74 71

288 L Roberts 72 70 67 79, N Price (Zim) 71 70 71 76

289 S Maruyama (Jpn) 68 75 73 73, M Campbell (Nzl) 71 71 75 72, N Begay 77 71 72 69, T Bjorn (Den) 66 79 73 71

290 G Norman (Aus) 65 71 74 80

292 M Calcavecchia 72 69 72 79, MA Jimenez (Spa) 70 72 74 76

Disqualified: K Triplett