By Mark Garrod, PA Sport Golf Correspondent, Minnesota

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Little-known Rich Beem defied a storming finish from Tiger Woods to clinch the USPGA Championship.

Beem shot a final round 68 for a 10-under-par total to beat the world No1 by a shot for his first 'major'.

Woods had been five behind Justin Leonard at the start of the final round at Hazeltine National near Minneapolis, but after eight dramatic holes it was 31-year-old Beem, playing just his fourth major championship, that he trailed by only one.

The Masters and US Open champion, trying to win his ninth major and become the first man ever to win three in a season twice, chipped in for par at the first, then birdied the fourth, sixth and long seventh.

It took Woods to seven under par and he stayed there by conjuring up an unbelievable recovery from dense rough left of the green at the short eighth.

Leonard, the 1997 Open champion and 1999 American Ryder Cup hero, led overnight at nine under, three clear of fellow American Beem.

But that situation quickly changed. Leonard bogeyed the second and Beem birdied the next two to bring them level.

Leonard responded with an eight-foot birdie putt on the fifth, but could count himself fortunate just to drop one stroke on the next after his wayward approach had clung on the bank by the water.

The bogey meant he and Beem were tied once more, but now only one in front of Woods. However, both birdied the 542-yard seventh, Beem by boldly going for the green in two and Leonard with a pitch and 15-foot putt.

That did his confidence the world of good - but it was badly dented again when he pushed his tee shot into the water on the 178-yard eighth.

He double-bogeyed it to fall back alongside Woods and Beem, bunkered off the tee, bogeyed it to be one in front at eight under.

It looked to be between the three of them as Fred Funk was three shots further back in fourth spot after eight holes.

Leonard came from five behind on the last day to win at Royal Troon by three, so before he set off for the closing 18 holes he had not totally discounted the possibility of a challenge from his closest rivals.

"I'm human, so obviously I'm going to look and see how Tiger is doing," he said.

"Does he intimidate me? Sure, at times he does. He hasn't done it this week and if I go out and do my job he won't in the final round either.

"If I go out and play well then I feel like a five-shot lead over him is safe. But if I struggle or stumble, especially in the beginning, I think guys are going to feel like they've got a chance.

"I don't think I can go out and just scoot it around. I need to play some good golf."

Leonard is coached now by Woods' coach Butch Harmon, but he gives some of the credit for his improved form to his wife of six months Amanda.

He said: "I think I'm a better player because I'm fulfilled off the course. I didn't get married to improve my golf game, but it has."

Leonard, of course, was the player whose 45-foot birdie putt on the 17th green at Brookline three years sparked the premature Ryder Cup celebrations which caused so much controversy.

His game deteriorated, though, to the extent that he did not qualify for last year's match - postponed to next month - and was not selected by Curtis Strange.

The early signs on the final day were that more birdies were available. David Duval went to the turn in 31, but eventually had to settle for a 70, while Sergio Garcia had a 68 to finish one over.

Leading Europeans with a round to play - and also too far back barring a miracle - were Pierre Fulke, Justin Rose and Padraig Harrington in 13th place on two over.

Harrington played the first two rounds with a bad ankle and then just before his third round ricked his neck and thought he would have to pull out.

Australian physiotherapist Dale Richardson, who travels the golf circuit, came to his rescue on the course and the Dubliner, having double-bogeyed the first when he could hardly turn his body, managed a 74 to be in joint 13th place.

As Harrington set off again Richardson reported that he had given him more treatment last night and this morning.

"He's better, but he's probably still only 85," he commented.

Harrington birdied the second, but took six on the long third and after another birdie at the sixth ran up a double-bogey seven on the next.

With six to play he was four over, while Rose played the front nine in level par before bogeying the long 11th to stand three over and Fulke remained two over with four to go.

Nick Faldo disappointed again with a 78, but that was still two better than Jose Maria Olazabal and Open runner-up Thomas Levet, Olazabal taking a nightmare sextuple-bogey nine on the 182-yard 17th, another par three with water lining it.

Leonard dropped another stroke on the ninth, but Beem - who seven years ago gave up golf and sold mobile phones and car stereos instead - saved par from over the green and stayed one ahead of Woods.

Winner of his second US Tour title two weeks ago, Beem was out in 34 - but Leonard's scorecard already totted up to 39.

Woods had almost holed from 25 feet at the ninth - it would have made him joint leader - but he still turned in 33 and a third PGA victory in four years was there for the taking.

The problems of Leonard had opened the door not only to Beem and Woods, but also Fred Funk and when the 46-year-old sank a huge putt on the ninth and pitched to four feet at the long 11th he joined Leonard in third place at six under.

The 11th was a great opportunity for Woods to become joint leader, but he blocked his drive into the rough and came up short with his pitch. A par five left him seven under.

Another American, Chris Riley, was not out of it either after he birdied the 11th and 12th to climb to five under.

If Beem was really feeling pressure it had only positive effects at the 597-yard 11th - he eagled it to go three clear of Woods and everyone else.

Left with 271 yards to the flag for his second he crunched a three-wood and, as he shouted after it, the ball ran up to within seven feet.

In went the putt to lift him to 10 under - and now the heat was really on the Phoenix golfer.

Riley, meanwhile, made it three birdies in a row with a nine-footer on the short 13th and was joint third at six under.

Woods hit a good tee shot on the short 13th, but amazingly three-putted it for bogey and when Beem birdied it from 10 feet moments later, he held a five-stroke lead.

It was a huge cushion, but it shrunk to four when Breem bogeyed the next.

A dejected Woods also bogeyed the 14th, but his birdie at the long 15th brought him back into a tie for second at six under with Riley and Leonard - still four back, though.