Chopra wins after Hawaii play-off

Daniel Chopra and wife Samantha celebrate the victory

FINAL ROUND LEADERBOARD:
(US unless stated)
-18 D Chopra (Swe), S Stricker
* won on fourth hole play-off
-17 S Ames (Can)
-16 M Weir (Can)
-14 H Mahan, J Furyk, N Watney
Selected others:
-11 V Singh (Fij)
-10 A Cabrera (Arg)

Daniel Chopra won the Mercedes-Benz Championship in Hawaii after coming out on top in a play-off on Sunday.

The Swede defeated Steve Stricker with a tap-in birdie on the fourth play-off hole, the par-five ninth, for his second career USPGA Tour win.

Chopra (66) and Stricker (64) had both finished on 18-under-par 274.

Stephen Ames shot 66 to finish third on 17 under and fellow Canadian Mike Weir, who entered the final round with a one-shot lead, was fourth on 16 under.

Ranked 130th in the world coming into the event, Chopra's victory also earned him his first trip to the Masters.

I'm awfully happy. Now I get to go to Augusta, my lifelong dream Daniel Chopra

"I got a golf course today that was just right up my alley," he said of the Kapalua Resort's Plantation Course.

Chopra had learned the design of the course from watching television and playing it on video games.

"I came out here and I'm fairly familiar with most of the holes and the shots. I've played it on PlayStation a bunch too and I managed to take advantage of it.

"I'm awfully happy. Now I get to go to Augusta, my lifelong dream."

Chopra could have wrapped up the win on a few occasions before he actually did.

He first came up short with a 12-foot birdie putt at the 18th which would have avoided the need for a play-off.

He again fell agonisingly short with a putt twice that length on the second extra hole.

And he finally sealed victory with a two-putt birdie at the par-five ninth, his eagle attempt having come to rest on the edge of the cup.

It was the seventh play-off in the last 14 years at the event which brings together the title-holders from the previous Tour season.

Stricker had not birdied 18 all week but he finally did to earn his place in the play-off.

He said: "This is definitely a good start for the season, a little bittersweet again today where I played a great round and ended up with some opportunities in regulation to make a couple more birdies coming down the stretch.

"It was a great start to the year. I mean, I can be a little disappointed, I guess, because I didn't win. But again, it was a good start."