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American Stewart Cink beat Tom Watson in a four-hole play-off to win the 138th Open Championship at Turnberry and deny the veteran an historic victory.

The 59-year-old Watson was seeking to become the oldest man to win a Major and had a glorious chance to write his name on the Claret Jug for a sixth time when he arrived at the 72nd hole with a one-shot lead.

But after a perfect-looking approach ran through the back he putted up too strongly from the rough and left his 10-foot par putt painfully short to drop back to two under par.

That left him facing a play-off with the 36-year-old Cink who had earlier sunk a bold birdie putt at the last for a 69 and the clubhouse lead.

Both players found bunkers with their approaches at the first play-off hole, the par-four 5th, but it was Cink who emerged with par while Watson had a bogey to fall one behind.

At the par-three sixth both made par, but while Cink made a straightforward birdie at the par-five 17th, Watson found trouble off the tee and walked away with a triple-bogey seven to fall four shots behind.

Cink sealed his maiden Major victory in emphatic fashion, with a stunning wedge to two feet setting up a birdie at the 18th to win the play-off by six shots.

England's Lee Westwood came desperately close, but paid the price for an errant drive at the 18th that ultimately cost him a bogey and a place in the play-off.

Westwood finished in a tie for third with countryman Chris Wood, the leading amateur at last year's Open, who shot an impressive three-under-par 67 to blaze up the leaderboard.

Wood, like Watson and Westwood, had also dropped a shot on the crucial final hole despite a fine-looking approach that ran through the green.

Another Englishman to finish strongly was Luke Donald, who also had a 67 to finish at level par and in a tie for fifth with South Africa's Retief Goosen and Matthew Goggin of Australia.

South Africa's Ernie Els and former Open champion Justin Leonard finished in a tie for eighth at one over par.

Wentworth's Ross Fisher had a day to forget. After starting the day one shot off the lead he birdied the first two holes - including a 50-yard holed pitch at the second - to go two ahead as Watson faltered early on.

But his challenge imploded with a quadruple-bogey eight at the 5th and he had to settle for a tie for 13th at two over par.

Joining Fisher at that mark were a group of players including England's Justin Rose, Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain, Swede Henrik Stenson and Italian Matteo Manassero.

Sixteen-year-old Manassero, who was assured the silver medal as best amateur, completed his remarkable Open with a closing 69.

Defending champion Padraig Harrington shot a closing 73 to finish in a tie for 65th at 12 over par.

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STEWART CINK FACTBOX

- Born May 21, 1973, in Huntsville, Alabama.

- Took up the game as a youngster when his parents, single-digit handicappers, left him at the driving range as he was not old enough to go on the course.

- Turned pro in 1995, already married and a father.

- His tour debut in 1997 yielded a win at the Travelers Championship.

- Best year was 2004, when Cink won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and finished fifth on the money list.

- Reached fifth in the world rankings in July 2008 after another Travelers Championship triumph the previous month.

- A Ryder Cup regular since 2002, Cink has played 15 matches, winning four and losing seven.

- By beating 59-year-old compatriot Tom Watson in a play-off, Cink claimed his first Major title at The Open.

Will Tidey / Eurosport