Darren Clarke shot a closing three-under-par 67 at the Firestone Country Club South Course on Sunday to win his second World Golf Championship title by a comfortable four-stroke margin.
The Irishman led by a single shot overnight in Ohio and got off to a good start as he cruised to a 12-under 268 total, well ahead of American Jonathan Kaye in second place.
The victory means the 35-year-old becomes just the second player after Tiger Woods to win multiple WGC tournaments, having picked up the Accenture Match Play championships in 2000.
"It's fantastic to win another World Golf Championship after the last one," Clarke said after picking up $1.05 million and his first title since the 2002 Compass Group English Open.
"Anytime you do something that Tiger has is pretty good, so I'm delighted to have won again." Kaye, who began the day a stroke behind Clarke, never put any pressure on the Ulsterman and finished with a 70. Davis Love III was another stroke back after a 69.
Woods, who won the last three NEC Invitationals at Firestone, managed to get within two strokes of Clarke after eight holes, but an inward 38 derailed his chances.
A 70 meant he finished in joint fourth with Chris Riley, who had a 71. "I was trying to get within one shot with three to go, but instead I went the other way," Woods said.
After a 15-foot eagle at the second and a birdie at the fourth, from eight feet, Clarke led by five strokes. But he dropped a shot at the fifth with a blown three-footer while Woods birdied seven and eight to cut the difference to two strokes.
Clarke, however, made three birdies in five holes starting at the 11th, capped by a 40-footer from the fringe at 13, and Woods shot himself out of contention with bogeys at 13 and 14.
"I managed to do what I had to do," Clarke said after his 14th career victory.
"I don't know if it's a relief or not, but I feel very good at the moment about what I've achieved because I've had a season where I've been putting a lot of work in and getting not very good results.
Clarke, who already had conditional membership on the PGA Tour, said he planned to play around 16 events next year in the United States and a similar number on the European Tour.