Zach Johnson defeats Tiger Woods to claim the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge title

Zach Johnson beat Tiger Woods in a playoff to win the Northwestern World Challenge 2013.

Zach Johnson saw off Tiger woods in the play-offs to claim the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge title in California.

Initially Zach was four shots behind Tiger Woods after 10 holes, but the eventual champion came back strongly and cruised past his opponent, sinking four birdies and chipping in from the drop zone on the 18th to take the contest into a play-off with a four-under round of 68, before taking the title on the first extra hole.

Zach, after final round, summed up the win, “[It] was a little bit too dramatic for me. I’m lucky it went in.”

Woods on the other hand failed to consolidate on the lead in the final round. “I had a two-shot lead starting out the day. Zach, I don’t know how the last three iron shots didn’t go in the hole. It was pretty impressive on 16, 17, and 18. He got me,” said Woods.

When Zach Johnson bogeyed the 10th shot to go four behind, his prospects looked grim, but he birdied the 11th and 12th. Woods then dropped a shot at 14 and the deficit was cut to just one.

Both the players birdied 16th. Then Johnson picked up a shot on the next and it was all square at 13 under.

The champion was in trouble on the 18th after finding the water, but holed brilliantly from the drop zone to save par, then parred the first play-off hole – as Woods found the bunker and missed a four-foot putt – to take the title.