• Wells Fargo Championship, Round Four

Glover wins after Quail Hollow play-off

Lucas Glover salvaged an unlikely par at 18 © Getty Images

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Lucas Glover clinched the Wells Fargo Championship on Sunday - but only after making a par on the first hole of a sudden death play-off.

Glover, the 2009 US Open champion, held his nerve despite being forced into an extra hole by Jonathan Byrd - a close friend who the American estimates he has played over 100 competitive rounds with.

Despite the personal friendship, the 31-year-old was still delighted to defeat him.

"I'm elated," Glover said. "Any time you win, you're pleased. It means you beat everybody. You did what you set out to do on Thursday morning when the bell rang.

"Against this field and on this golf course and in a tournament of this magnitude, I'm thrilled."

Byrd holed a 15-foot putt at the final hole to force a play-off with Glover, but it would not prove to be enough.

Glover looked to have done enough to win the tournament when he got into the clubhouse at 15-under, having come through the Green Mile - the devilish final three holes at Quail Hollow - unscathed.

After entering the stretch with a one-shot lead, he escaped with pars at 16 and 17, never appearing particularly convincing, and then looked to have landed himself in trouble by sending his tee shot at 18 well wide of the fairway. But, with the ball beneath his feet on an elevated lie, he managed to get the ball onto the fringe - and then got down in two from there.

That meant Byrd, who held the overnight lead, needed a birdie at the last in order to force sudden-death battle - and he duly obliged, with a devastating one-two punch of approach shot and then putt.

Rory Sabbatini completed at 14-under after a final-day 65, with Bill Haas at 13-under.

There was controversy around Padraig Harrington, who escaped punishment after being reported by a spectator for allegedly teeing up in front of the markers at the 13th hole. "Myself, [playing partner] Phil [Mickelson], the two caddies, we all said it didn't look odd at the time," Harrington said. "It looks close on the TV but it is inconclusive. For once I'm not going to be a martyr and take it - it's not conclusive, so there's no penalty."

Harrington completed the tournament at ten-under after a final-day 68, which was achieved despite hitting just 21% of his fairways. The Irishman looked on course to push the leaders all the way, before coming unstuck at the last, bogeying the 17th and 18th.

Phil Mickelson, playing in his first tournament since The Masters, also completed at ten-under following a 69 - but said improvement was needed ahead of next week's Players' Championship. "I've got some work to do - I made some good swings, but there were some mistakes, and thankfully I've got [coach] Butch Harmon with me this week," he said. "I need to get in a competitive frame of mind, and playing this week got me sharp."

Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia both wound up at six-under, while Martin Kaymer - who didn't go below 70 all week - completed at level-par.

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