Kurt Kitayama fended off a star-studded and crowded leaderboard to clinch his first PGA Tour win with victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Sunday.
The 30-year-old recorded an even-par final round of 72 to finish nine-under at the top and successfully follow up his overnight lead.
Rory McIlroy had been tied for the lead on eight under with Kitayama stood at the 17th, only for the American to find the birdie that would earn him a shot cushion heading to the final tee.
McIlroy would then miss a 10-foot birdie putt to take over at the top at the 18th, forcing him to settle for tied-second with Harris English on eight-under having shot a two-under 70 over the final round.
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The results mean Kitayama, English and Davis Riley have now qualified for The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool, the latter having placed tied-eighth on six-under after a final round 66.
Kitayama had gone round the opening nine in 37 after producing three birdies before stumbling into the turnaround with a triple bogey at the ninth.
He steadied himself with seven straight pars to keep himself in among the competitive race, and was rewarded with a break when he birdied the 17th to move level before seeing it out with a par-four on the 18.
Kitayama said: "Ecstatic. I've been dreaming of this for a while. I've been close and to finally get it done feels
amazing. For the most part, I was feeling in control. One loose swing there and maybe a bad kick left, it just happened.
"My heart was pumping, but being in those situations in the past definitely helped. I found myself walking super-fast and then I was like, 'Slow down, just take a minute', and that really helped."
McIlroy meanwhile missed out on the chance to leapfrog Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler into No 1 in the world rankings as bogeys on the 14th and 15th hindered the momentum of three birdies in four holes on 10, 12 and 13 to put himself firmly in the hunt.
A birdie-four at the 16th restored some hope but he could only manage par on the final two holes to fall just short of Kitayama.
McIlroy said: "Disappointment. I feel like I gave myself a great chance after the birdie on 13, and then playing the final five holes in one over par, with this jam-packed field, isn't really going to get it done.
"It was a battle all day. I felt like I hung in there really well, I just came up one short in the end. But Kurt played well and did really well to hang on in that back nine."
Tyrrell Hatton, winner of the event in 2020, had started the day two shots behind leader Kitayama after a round of 66 on Saturday, eventually finishing tied for fourth after matching his round two 72 following three bogeys across his back nine.
Defending champion Scheffler, who could have also moved top of the world rankings with a win, was tied in fourth with Hatton on seven-under after a round of 73 in which he managed just four birdies before finishing on the bogey.
It was a week to forget for the in-form Rahm, who was one-over in tied-39th after following up back-to-back rounds of 76 with a 72 that flashed on an eagle-three at the fourth before producing four of five total bogeys on the day.
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