David Duval has finally become the world's number one golfer. And the 27-year-old American did it in just the way he hoped, by winning the coveted Players Championship. Incredibly, he reached that milestone on the same day as his father, Bob, achieved his first US Seniors Tour victory.

Duval grabbed his 10th victory in 18 unbelievable months (and his third this season) on another day of high drama at Sawgrass in Florida.

After shooting a 74 in Saturday's high winds and going from one behind to one in front, Duval's closing 73 was still good enough to give him the massive £562,500 first prize by two shots from fellow countryman Scott Gump.

Duval finished on the three-under-par mark of 285, and now, after just seven events, he has already gone through the $2 million barrier for the season.

Lee Westwood, fifth on his debut in the event last year, shot 73 for sixth spot, a timely boost to his confidence two weeks before the Masters.

But for the second Sunday running Colin Montgomerie, one shot off the lead early in the round, crumbled to a 79 and finished only 23rd.

Gump emerged as the biggest danger to Duval on the back nine, but like so many others went into the lake on the notorious, 137-yard island green 17th for a double bogey.

By sinking a 20-foot birdie putt on the last, however, he left Duval needing to par the last three holes for victory.

Following bogeys on the 14th and 15th, making five in all for the day, Duval was by no means a cert for that. But to a huge roar from his home town crowd he hit his tee shot on the 17th to nine feet and holed the birdie putt.

It meant he could bogey the last and still triumph. But by chipping from the back of the green to two feet he matched his father's two-shot victory in the Emerald Cost Classic some 200 miles away.

Tiger Woods had to finish in the top six to stay number one, but managed only joint 11th to end a nine-month reign at the top of the rankings. He will be looking to regain it at Augusta, of course.

Earlier, Nick Faldo completed one of the worst weeks of his golfing life by being disqualified.

The day after scoring a nightmare 83, which equalled his worst-ever round in America, Faldo's tournament ended on the seventh green when an official told him he had taken a wrong penalty drop on the previous hole.

Already 16 over par - he had been joint leader at four under after nine holes of his opening round - Faldo's second shot to the 393-yard sixth finished high up in the branches of a palm tree and out of sight.

He was about to put another ball in play on the fairway when partner Corey Pavin told him he could drop under the tree.

"He said because we saw it go into the tree we could drop it there. He said the same thing had happened to him and he talked me into it," said Faldo.

His first instinct was right, though. A spectator spoke to a referee about the incident and on the next green Faldo was questioned.

"Because I finished the sixth I had to be disqualified," he said. "That just about caps the week. It all adds to the frivolity."

Darren Clarke's miserable form continued with a 78, which left him 16 over with Pavin and joint 71st of the 78 still standing.

Clarke is currently 55 over par for 15 rounds this season.