The greatest story ever told - certainly in golf, maybe in the whole of sport - did not have the dream ending most people wanted at Turnberry.

After a four-hole play-off it was American Ryder Cup player Stewart Cink who was handed the famous Claret Jug, his first major trophy, and not 59-year-old Tom Watson.

An amazing 32 years after his 'Duel in the Sun' with Jack Nicklaus on the course - and nine months after hip replacement surgery - Watson had earlier looked all set to win a record-equalling sixth title and become easily the oldest major winner in history.

But, one ahead with one to play and in the middle of the fairway, he went through the green, putted eight feet past and missed the return.

Then, after bogeying the first extra hole, Watson's hopes effectively ended in the rough left of the 17th fairway, their third.

A search was needed just to find his drive, two hacks were needed to get the ball out and he then three-putted for a double bogey seven to fall four behind.

Suddenly he looked his age and the shaven-headed Cink was in no mood to mess things up, no matter how much he felt for his compatriot.

The pattern continued with Watson bogeying the last and Cink, after applauding him, making a three-foot birdie putt to win by a massive six.

His victory enabled him to finally bury the memory of the 2001 US Open when he missed an 18-inch putt that would have put him in a play-off with Retief Goosen and Mark Brooks.

But there was a general air of anti-climax as he clinched the biggest win of his life.

The 36-year-old is, at 6ft 4in, one of the tallest winners in Open history. But what thousands came hoping to see was the oldest ever winner.

Watson's final hole bogey not only dropped him into a tie with Cink on two under par - they were round in 72 and 69 respectively, with Cink holing a 14-foot birdie putt on the last - it also left England's Lee Westwood and Chris Wood reflecting on what might have been.

The two stablemates shared third place one behind - and both had bogeyed the last like Watson.

Wood, at 21 trying to become the third youngest ever winner 12 months after finishing fifth as an amateur, also failed to get up and down from over the green, but having started six behind and shooting 67 he could take pride in getting so close.

Westwood, though, had led by two with nine to play, but bogeyed the 15th and 16th and after almost eagling the 17th his final tee shot with an iron ran into a bunker and from long range he three-putted.

As for compatriot Ross Fisher, on the day he was waiting for news on whether he had become a father for the first time, he led by three after a dream start, but then had a nightmare eight on the fifth and fell away to 13th with a 75. Westwood shot 71.

That eight will long live with Fisher. In thick rough down the right he decided to have a thrash, moved it only a few feet and with his next attempt slashed it over the fairway and had to take a penalty drop.

His eight was a repeat of the score he took on the final hole last year. That time it dropped him from seventh to 39th and dealt a huge blow to his Ryder Cup hopes.

Playing partner Westwood had dropped a shot on the fifth himself, but his response was brilliant - an 18-footer for a two at the 231-yard sixth and then an eagle putt of 15 feet on the long next.

He was two ahead and that was how it was at the turn after Watson, coming back two bogeys in the first three with a two-putt birdie on the seventh, failed to get up and down from short right of the ninth green.

Wood had drawn level with an eagle at the seventh and birdies on the eighth and 10th and then recovered from bogeys at the 13th and 14th with more birdies on 15 and 17.

But as he went to prepare for a play-off he was told it would not be necessary once Cink had birdied the last.

How Watson was left wishing he could have repeated his birdie on the 17th in regulation play. He might still not have won, but it would have brought the event alive again.

He had run out of magic moments, but what a thrilling ride it was - and he will, of course, be at St Andrews next year for what will be his final Open.

Unless he wins that one, of course.

Collated final round scores (Gbr & Irl unless stated, par 70):

(x) denotes amateurs:

278 Stewart Cink (USA) 66 72 71 69 (Stewart Cink won the 4 hole play-off), Tom Watson (USA) 65 70 71 72

279 Chris Wood 70 70 72 67, Lee Westwood 68 70 70 71

280 Retief Goosen (Rsa) 67 70 71 72, Luke Donald 71 72 70 67, Mathew Goggin (Aus) 66 72 69 73

281 Richard S Johnson (Swe) 70 72 69 70, Thomas Aiken (Rsa) 71 72 69 69, Justin Leonard (USA) 70 70 73 68, Ernie Els (Rsa) 69 72 72 68, Soren Hansen (Den) 68 72 74 67

282 Francesco Molinari (Ita) 71 70 71 70, Ross Fisher 69 68 70 75, Jeff Overton (USA) 70 69 76 67, Metteo Manassero (Ita) 71 70 72 69, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 69 72 69 72, Justin Rose 69 72 71 70, Andres Romero (Arg) 68 74 73 67, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 64 73 76 69, Boo Weekley (USA) 67 72 72 71, Camilo Villegas (Col) 66 73 73 70, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 71 70 71 70

283 Peter Hanson (Swe) 70 71 72 70, Oliver Wilson 72 70 71 70, Angel Cabrera (Arg) 69 70 72 72

284 John Daly (USA) 68 72 72 72, Nick Watney (USA) 71 72 71 70, Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 68 76 71 69, James Kingston (Rsa) 67 71 74 72, Mark Calcavecchia (USA) 67 69 77 71, Davis Love III (USA) 69 73 73 69, Kenichi Kuboya (Jpn) 65 72 75 72

285 Jim Furyk (USA) 67 72 70 76, Graeme McDowell 68 73 71 73, Martin Kaymer (Den) 69 70 74 72, Richard Sterne (Rsa) 67 73 75 70

286 Steve Marino (USA) 67 68 76 75, Vijay Singh (Fij) 67 70 75 74, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 70 69 76 71, Nick Dougherty 70 70 73 73, Thomas Levet (Fra) 71 73 71 71

287 Bryce Molder (USA) 70 73 67 77, Anthony Wall 68 72 75 72, Branden Grace (Rsa) 67 72 73 75, Paul McGinley 71 71 70 75

288 Rory McIlroy 69 74 74 71, Zach Johnson (USA) 70 71 77 70, Paul Lawrie 71 73 76 68, Paul Casey 68 76 74 70, Gonzalo Fdez-Castano (Spa) 69 72 73 74

289 Steve Stricker (USA) 66 77 70 76, David Howell 68 73 72 76, Billy Mayfair (USA) 69 73 73 74, Darren Clarke 71 71 78 69, Johan Edfors (Swe) 71 73 72 73, Graeme Storm 72 72 74 71, Kenny Perry (USA) 71 72 75 71, Robert Allenby (Aus) 70 74 73 72

290 David Drysdale 69 73 75 73, Kevin Sutherland (USA) 69 73 73 75, Tom Lehman (USA) 68 74 74 74, Paul Broadhurst 70 72 74 74

291 Ryuji Imada (Jpn) 74 69 79 69

292 Sean O'Hair (USA) 68 75 75 74, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 71 72 76 73, Padraig Harrington 69 74 76 73, Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe) 71 70 78 73

293 J.B. Holmes (USA) 68 70 75 80

295 Fredrik Jacobson (Swe) 70 72 77 76, Mark O'Meara (USA) 67 77 77 74

303 Paul Goydos (USA) 72 72 77 82

304 Daniel Gaunt (Aus) 76 67 79 82