Stewart Cink recorded the greatest final-round PGA Tour comeback on American soil when erasing a nine-stroke deficit before breaking Ted Purdy's heart in a five-hole play-off at the Heritage.

Playing an hour-and-threequarters ahead of the final pairing of Purdy and Heath Slocum, Cink carded a seven-under-par 64 to post a clubhouse total of 10 under par on 274 - two strokes behind Purdy at the time.

But Purdy, who entered the week 366th in the World Golf Rankings, bogeyed the 10th and 15th holes on a birdie-free back nine to fall back to the same score.

He had a 10-foot birdie putt to win but pulled it and signed for a 73.

Both players had chances to end the play-off before the fifth hole of sudden death.

Purdy missed a 15-foot birdie attempt on the first extra hole before Cink misfired on three birdie tries within 16 feet.

Cink appeared to be in trouble on the winning hole - the par-four 16th - when he pulled his drive into a waste area.

But Purdy put his approach over the green, taking away any chance at birdie.

Unable to see the pin because of the sunset at Harbour Town Golf Links, Cink put his second shot within six feet of the cup.

Purdy made an eight-footer for par, but Cink answered with the title-winning birdie.

It was the third career win and second at Harbour Town for Cink, who recorded the second-largest 54-hole comeback in PGA Tour history.

Jean Van de Velde's collapse at the 1999 Open allowed Paul Lawrie to rally from 10 shots down and win a three-way play-off.

Ernie Els, Carl Pettersson and Patrick Sheehan finished in joint third on 276.

Fred Funk was another shot back, while Briton Justin Rose, Stephen Ames, Jay Haas and Scott Hoch all earned just over £80,000 for joint seventh place on 278.

Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke was another shot back in joint-11th.

Collated final round scores and totals in the USPGA Tour MCI Heritage, Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina (USA unless stated, par 71):

274 Ted Purdy 69 67 65 73, Stewart Cink 72 69 69 64

Cink wins the play-off at the fifth extra hole

276 Patrick Sheehan 71 66 69 70, Ernie Els (Rsa) 69 70 68 69, Carl Pettersson (Swe) 72 71 66 67

277 Fred Funk 69 69 69 70

278 Scott Hoch 70 68 71 69, Justin Rose (Eng) 73 69 66 70, Stephen Ames (Tt) 70 68 68 72, Jay Haas 68 69 70 71

280 Jonathan Kaye 70 70 68 72, Darren Clarke (NIrl) 71 66 71 72, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 71 73 70 66, Jose Coceres (Arg) 71 68 72 69, Kevin Na (Kor) 69 68 70 73

281 Bob Burns 73 70 67 71, Jay Williamson 71 72 69 69, Tim Petrovic 69 72 71 69, Rodney Pampling (Aus) 68 72 69 72, Fredrik Jacobson (Swe) 73 69 68 71, Jonathan Byrd 68 71 70 72, Lucas Glover 73 70 66 72, Kent Jones 72 72 68 69, Cliff Kresge 71 70 74 66

282 John Huston 69 68 74 71, Dennis Paulson 73 70 70 69, Alex Cejka (Ger) 70 71 68 73, Skip Kendall 72 71 69 70, Ben Curtis 68 66 75 73, Mark O'Meara 71 67 73 71, Nick Price (Zim) 69 71 74 68

283 Heath Slocum 68 67 70 78, Scott Verplank 73 69 72 69, Woody Austin 71 71 69 72, Tom Byrum 74 68 69 72, Chad Campbell 69 69 70 75, Davis Love III 72 70 69 72, Matt Kuchar 72 70 70 71

284 Spike McRoy 69 71 71 73, David Frost (Rsa) 71 68 75 70, Justin Leonard 71 72 73 68, Craig Bowden 70 72 74 68, Bernhard Langer (Ger) 71 71 70 72, Lee Janzen 71 72 70 71

285 Robert Gamez 69 70 73 73, Ben Crane 74 67 74 70, Jeff Maggert 73 66 70 76, Tim Clark 70 71 72 72, John Rollins 71 70 71 73, Jeff Brehaut 74 66 73 72, Cameron Beckman 67 72 74 72, Dudley Hart 74 68 70 73

286 Billy Andrade 77 64 71 74, Glen Day 72 68 72 74, Scott Simpson 73 69 72 72, Brian Bateman 69 71 75 71, J.L. Lewis 69 75 72 70, Frank Lickliter II 71 71 71 73, Zach Johnson 69 72 75 70, Dean Wilson 72 71 67 76

287 Ian Poulter (Eng) 70 70 73 74, Scott Hend (Eng) 73 70 66 78, Loren Roberts 69 73 72 73, Craig Barlow 71 71 76 69

288 Bob Estes 71 72 71 74

289 Robert Damron 74 69 72 74

290 Matt Gogel 71 71 76 72, Dan Olsen 71 72 73 74

291 Billy Mayfair 76 68 73 74, Brad Faxon 71 71 81 68

292 Todd Fischer 72 72 75 73, Tommy Armour III 76 68 77 71