American Matt Kuchar continued a remarkable sequence by winning the Players Championship, golf's richest event, by two strokes at Sawgrass last night.
The sport has come full circle since the days Tiger Woods dominated things - this was the 20th strokeplay tournament on the PGA Tour this season and the 33-year-old became the 20th different winner.
Scot Martin Laird was hoping he would be the one to join the list, but after a bogey at the last he ended up in a four-way tie for second with Rickie Fowler, Ben Curtis and Zach Johnson.
Luke Donald, meanwhile, came sixth after a dazzling finish that was not quite enough to reclaim the world number one spot from Rory McIlroy.
Kuchar leapt from 16th to fifth on the rankings after claiming the first prize of just over £1million with a closing 70 and 13-under-par total.
"You think of this as one of the strongest fields in golf," he said. "To come out as the champion is just an amazing feeling.
"I think one of the things that strikes me is walking every day through the champions' tunnel. I can't help but stop and gaze at all the photos going through champions' tunnel, and to think I'm going to be a part of that with Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trevino and Raymond Floyd and Phil Mickelson and David Duval and Tiger Woods - it's all the best of the best.
"To feel like I'm going to see my picture up there next year is pretty cool."
It was the Ryder Cup player's first victory since he beat Laird in a play-off at The Barclays in 2010.
Laird, giving his hopes of a Ryder Cup debut in September a huge boost, said following his 67: "Obviously very happy with how I played today. That's one of best rounds I've ever played under the circumstances, and the conditions."
He added: "It is my best finish in a big, big marquee event like the Players, and if I can't take confidence in that, then I'm doing something wrong."
The Scot started it with a 65 to be joint leader with Ian Poulter, who fell away to 25th.
From the 18th fairway the Glaswegian, who twice drew level with Kuchar early on the back nine, was lucky to avoid the lake with his pulled approach, but he could not get up and down.
Kuchar then moved three clear with a birdie at the long 16th, three-putted the next, but safely parred the last knowing that bogey would still be good enough after the previous week's winner Fowler, having birdied 16 and 17, missed a seven-foot chance for another.
Laird will seek to give his cup chances another push in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth next week.
Donald is the defending champion there and his confidence is sky-high again after he equalled the tournament record with an inward 30 containing six birdies.
World number three Lee Westwood slumped to a closing 77 and was only 61st, while Woods finished 40th.
