Dustin Johnson shot a final round of 66 to clinch a one-stroke victory at the St Jude Classic as Rory McIlroy saw his hopes go up in smoke with a double-bogey at the last.
The victory provided an ideal boost for Johnson ahead of next week's US Open, with the American making only his second start since spending three months on the sidelines with a back injury.
McIlroy blasted his final tee-shot at 18 into water and would go on to run up a double-bogey that saw him eventually finish down in a tie for seventh.
Johnson made a decisive move with birdie at 17 and, having made a par down the last, was then forced to watch on having posted nine-under.
John Merrick and Nick O'Hern were both within striking distance as they prepared to play the 18th at eight-under, but the Australian's chance went as he too found water from the tee-box.
Near miss for Merrick
Having left his approach short of the green, Merrick needed to chip in to tie Johnson and force a play-off, but could not quite manage it as his fine attempt just trickled past the hole.
Having started the day one behind the leaders, McIlroy had opened a two-shot lead early on the back-nine having reached nine-under, only to come back to the field with a couple of bogeys.
A birdie at 17 had lifted him back into a share of the lead at eight-under with playing partner Chad Campbell, Johnson and Merrick, but his three-wood at the last was always heading left and found a watery grave.
Campbell could only follow his partner into the drink from the tee, but recovered to make a bogey that saw him finish on seven-under and in a tie for third with O'Hern and compatriots Ryan Palmer and Davis Love III.
Merrick finished on his own in second, while McIlroy shared seventh with Korea's Noh Seung-Yul and Australia's Robert Allenby.
England's Greg Own was a shot further back in 11th at five-under, while Padraig Harrington was part of a six-man group at four-under.
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