r4 - tiger triumphant

Tiger Woods became the first man since Tom Watson in 1983 to successfully defend the Open title, with a superbly controlled victory at Hoylake.

Woods carded a final-round 67 for a two-shot victory over fellow American Chris DiMarco.

It was the world number one's first victory since the death of his father, Earl, in May, and he burst into tears as he embraced caddie Steve Williams on the 18th green.

The 30-year-old's 18-under-par total was just one outside his own major championship record set at St Andrews in 2000.

It also extended his perfect record in major championships when leading after 54 holes and saw him lift the Claret Jug for the third time.

Americans have now won 10 of the last 12 Open championships - only Paul Lawrie at Carnoustie in 1999 and Ernie Els at Muirfield in 2002 disrupting their dominance.

DiMarco, who lost a play-off to Woods for the US Masters last year, recorded a closing 68 to finish three shots clear of Els and move into sixth in the American Ryder Cup standings.

Jim Furyk finished fourth on 12 under with Japan's Hideto Tanihara and Sergio Garcia sharing fifth on 11 under.

Els drew level with Woods after a birdie on the fifth but was not at his best and eventually signed for a 71 to finish third on 13 under.

One ahead of DiMarco, Els and Garcia at the start of play, Woods opened with four pars before rolling in a 20ft eagle putt on the fifth - two long-iron shots was all he needed to reach the green on the 528-yard par five.

Four more pars took him to the turn in 34 and at 15 under par two shots ahead of DiMarco.

A birdie on the 10th took Woods three clear but DiMarco refused to give up and twice closed the gap to one shot, the latter with a birdie on the 16th.

The roar which accompanied that putt forced Woods to back off his own birdie putt on the 15th, but he then coolly holed from eight feet to double his cushion and effectively seal victory.

Collated final scores and totals in the 135th Open Championship, Royal Liverpool GC, England

(Gbr & Irl unless stated, par 72 (x) denotes amateurs):

270 Tiger Woods (USA) 67 65 71 67

272 Chris DiMarco (USA) 70 65 69 68

275 Ernie Els (Rsa) 68 65 71 71

276 Jim Furyk (USA) 68 71 66 71

277 Hideto Tanihara (Jpn) 72 68 66 71, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 68 71 65 73

278 Angel Cabrera (Arg) 71 68 66 73

279 Carl Pettersson (Swe) 68 72 70 69, Andres Romero (Arg) 70 70 68 71, Adam Scott (Aus) 68 69 70 72

280 Anthony Wall 67 73 71 69, Ben Crane (USA) 68 71 71 70, SK Ho (Kor) 68 73 69 70

281 Sean O'Hair (USA) 69 73 72 67, Retief Goosen (Rsa) 70 66 72 73

282 Robert Rock 69 69 73 71, Brett Rumford (Aus) 68 71 72 71, Mikko Ilonen (Fin) 68 69 73 72, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 71 69 70 72, Robert Allenby (Aus) 69 70 69 74, Peter Lonard (Aus) 71 69 68 74

283 Mark Hensby (Aus) 68 72 74 69, Phil Mickelson (USA) 69 71 73 70, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 74 66 72 71, Greg Owen 67 73 68 75

284 Paul Broadhurst 71 71 73 69, Rory Sabbatini (USA) 69 70 73 72, Lee Slattery 69 72 71 72, Hunter Mahan (USA) 73 70 68 73, Jerry Kelly (USA) 72 67 69 76

285 Lee Westwood 69 72 75 69, Thaworn Wiratchant (Tha) 71 68 74 72, Simon Khan 70 72 68 75, Scott Verplank (USA) 70 73 67 75

286 Michael Campbell (Nzl) 70 71 75 70, John Senden (Aus) 70 73 73 70, Luke Donald 74 68 73 71, Rod Pampling (Aus) 69 71 74 72, Robert Karlsson (Swe) 70 71 71 74, Marcus Fraser (Aus) 68 71 72 75

287 Thomas Bjorn (Den) 72 71 73 71, Brandt Jobe (USA) 69 71 75 72, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 67 70 76 74, Stephen Ames (Can) 70 71 72 74, Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 71 71 71 74, Jeff Sluman (USA) 71 72 68 76, Mark Calcavecchia (USA) 71 68 68 80

288 (x) Marius Thorp (Nor) 71 71 75 71, Tom Watson (USA) 72 70 75 71, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 72 71 74 71, Simon Dyson 74 69 70 75, Simon Wakefield 72 71 70 75, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa) 70 69 73 76, John Bickerton 72 70 70 76, Andrew Marshall 72 71 68 77

289 David Duval (USA) 70 70 78 71, Jose Maria Olazabal (Spa) 73 68 76 72, Mike Weir (Can) 68 72 73 76, Keiichiro Fukabori (Jpn) 67 73 70 79, Tim Clark (Rsa) 72 69 69 79

290 Andrew Buckle (Aus) 72 69 72 77, Graeme McDowell 66 73 72 79

291 Marco Ruiz (Par) 71 70 80 70, Mark O'Meara (USA) 71 70 77 73

292 Chad Campbell (USA) 70 73 74 75

294 Vaughn Taylor (USA) 72 71 77 74, Fred Funk (USA) 69 74 75 76

295 (x) Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 73 70 77 75, Todd Hamilton (USA) 72 71 74 78

296 Bart Bryant (USA) 69 74 77 76

298 Paul Casey 72 70 79 77