Tiger Woods won the 13th major of his career with a two-stroke stroke victory over Woody Austin in the US PGA Championship at Southern Hills, Oklahoma.
The world number one successfully defended his title after a final-round 69 proved enough to hold off his rivals and maintain his amazing record of having won every major in which he has led heading into the final round.
Woods began the day with a three-shot advantage over Stephen Ames but he soon disappeared from contention as Ernie Els and Woody Austin emerged as the main challengers.
The lead was up to five from Els after eight holes but a bogey at nine and a birdie for the South African at 10 cut that back to three.
However, Els bogeyed the 12th but the gap was back to three when the South African birdied the long 13th.
And when he holed a six-footer at the par-three next he was within two of Woods, with Austin moving alongside him after three birdies in a row from the turn.
Woods then bogeyed the 14th after his short putt lipped out and his advantage was just one from Austin after Els bogeyed the 16th.
Typically, however, the world number one clawed that shot back at the next with a 14-foot birdie putt - which he admitted was crucial to his victory.
Woods said he had made mistakes on the back nine which had allowed his rivals to scent an upset but backed himself to put things right.
"I made a mess of it at 14 and Woody was playing well, Ernie was making a move and I knew I had to bear down," said the world number one.
"I felt when I got to nine under par at the eighth I should shoot level par for the back nine.
"On 15 I said I had got myself into this mess so get yourself out of it and I made birdie there."
Els finished with two pars for a final-round 66 to finish five under and when Austin failed to hole a birdie putt from long distance on the 18th he closed with a 67 to be second on six under.
That left Woods to get down in four from the middle of the 18th fairway and he found the centre of the green and two putted for his fourth US PGA victory.
Woods' wife Elin and two-month-old daughter Sam were beside the 18th green to watch him hole the winning putt and he admitted that was a special moment for him.
"That is a feeling I have never experienced before and to have her (Sam) here brings chills to me even now. I was surprised she was out here," he added.
Collated final-round scores (USA unless stated, par 70):
272 Tiger Woods 71 63 69 69
274 Woody Austin 68 70 69 67
275 Ernie Els (Rsa) 72 68 69 66
279 Arron Oberholser 68 72 70 69, John Senden (Aus) 69 70 69 71
280 Trevor Immelman (Rsa) 75 70 66 69, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 69 68 74 69, Simon Dyson (Eng) 73 71 72 64
281 Scott Verplank 70 66 74 71 Kevin Sutherland 73 69 68 71 Boo Weekley 76 69 65 71
282 Adam Scott (Aus) 72 68 70 72, Justin Rose (Eng) 70 73 70 69, Anders Hansen (Den) 71 71 71 69, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 73 68 72 69, KJ Choi (Kor) 71 71 68 72, Stephen Ames (Can) 68 69 69 76
284 Hunter Mahan 71 73 72 68, Joe Durant 71 73 70 70, Pat Perez 70 69 77 68, Ken Duke 73 71 69 71, Brandt Snedeker 74 71 69 70
285 Steve Stricker 77 68 69 71, Retief Goosen (Rsa) 70 71 74 70, Steve Flesch 72 73 68 72, Heath Slocum 72 70 72 71, Kenny Perry 72 72 71 70, Peter Hanson (Swe) 72 71 69 73, Ian Poulter (Eng) 71 73 70 71, Camilo Villegas (Col) 69 71 74 71 N Green (Aus) 75 68 67 75
286 Bart Bryant 74 70 72 70, Stewart Cink 72 70 72 72, Phil Mickelson 73 69 75 69, John Daly 67 73 73 73, Shaun Micheel 73 71 70 72, Brett Wetterich 74 71 70 71, Luke Donald (Eng) 72 71 70 73, Lee Westwood (Eng) 69 74 75 68
287 Paul Casey (Eng) 72 70 74 71, Richard Green (Aus) 72 73 70 72
288 Rodney Pampling (Aus) 70 74 72 72, Sean O'Hair 70 72 70 76, Colin Montgomerie (Sco) 72 73 73 70, Niclas Fasth (Swe) 71 68 79 70, David Toms 71 74 71 72, Darren Clarke (NIrl) 77 66 71 74, Padraig Harrington (Irl) 69 73 72 74, Charles Howell III 75 70 72 71
289 Anthony Kim 73 72 71 73, Lucas Glover 70 75 74 70, Nick O'Hern (Aus) 72 72 72 73, Bob Tway 71 72 71 75, Shingo Katayama (Jpn) 76 67 72 74, Frank Lickliter II 70 75 75 69, Brian Bateman 71 74 76 68
290 Will MacKenzie 72 70 74 74, Robert Karlsson (Swe) 73 71 75 71, Chad Campbell 77 68 73 72
291 Billy Mayfair 76 69 75 71, Paul McGinley (Irl) 74 66 76 75
293 Brett Quigley 76 67 73 77, Thomas Bjorn (Den) 73 71 76 73, Corey Pavin 74 68 72 79, Graeme Storm (Eng) 65 76 74 78
294 Tim Herron 75 68 71 80, Todd Hamilton 73 72 74 75, Troy Matteson 72 69 73 80
296 Mike Small (Eng) 73 70 78 75, Tom Lehman 73 71 74 78
297 Ryan Benzel 71 72 80 74