Phil Mickelson and David Toms double-bogeyed the final hole at Vista Vallarta in Mexico allowing Shigeki Maruyama and Toshi Izawa to grab Japan's first World Cup victory since 1957. The absence of Tiger Woods, who chose to take the week off, looked set to be overcome when Mickelson and Toms played the first 17 holes of the closing foursomes in a brilliant nine under par.
But then world number two Mickelson pulled their last drive and world number six Toms, with whom he played so well in the Ryder Cup in September, pulled a six-iron into the rocks left of the green.
A penalty drop, a chip 20 feet past and a missed putt opened the door to the Japanese pair, who had just birdied the 16th and 17th to draw level, and a closing par gave them the million-dollar first prize by two shots.
“It was certainly a disappointing way for us to finish, given that we fought so hard to get back in the tournament,” said Mickelson, who in Saturday's amazing fourball 57 had an eagle and 10 birdies.
Toms, Woods' replacement, made a frank admission as he reflected on the loss. “I just didn't think the shot through,” said America's top-scorer at The Belfry. “I had a difficult shot, but at the same time I just hit a bad one. I had 130 yards to the front and because I couldn't get over the tree I was trying to keep the face open so it wouldn't go left. But I just pulled it. Looking back, I should have hit a sand wedge over the tree. I hit a lot of good shots until that last hole, but that's just part of golf. What else can you say?”
England's Justin Rose and Paul Casey finished joint third with South Korea after a last-day 68, but they were six behind Japan. Ireland’s Paul McGinley and Padraig Harrington finished in joint eighth place alongside Canada.
Filed by Johnny Proby
