Haas Wins FedEx in Hunter Shootout

Bill Haas captured the FedEx Cup in Atlanta after beating Hunter Mahan in a play-off at the Tour Championship.

The Americans were tied on eight under after 18 and then shared pars on the first two extra holes before Haas parred the third as Mahan made bogey.

Luke Donald, runner-up last year, finished third in the race for the $10m (£6.4m) prize after a one-under-par 69 to end on seven under.

Donald tied for third in the Atlanta event with Aaron Baddeley and KJ Choi.

The Englishman carded four birdies, including a two on the last, but fives on four, 10 and 12 checked his progress.

He said: "Every shot counts, especially in this last tournament. At least I gave myself a chance with that birdie at the last."

The world number one earns a $1.8m (£1.2m) prize for his efforts but winner Haas takes home $11.4m (£7.4m) for clinching the season-ending Tour Championship as well as the FedEx Cup.

The 29-year-old had looked to have blown his chances of victory at the second play-off hole.

He found a bunker with his tee shot and then water with his second, but a shallow enough lie allowed him to play the ball from its resting place and he superbly pitched to within three feet and halved the hole in four.

Mahan found the greenside bunker in the third play-off hole and then allowed his escape to run 15 feet past the hole.

Haas, putting from the back fringe of the green, rolled his ball just four feet past and, after Mahan missed, he found the centre of the cup to clinch the win.

The North Carolina man entered the 30-player event 25th in points but finished on top, 15 points ahead of American Webb Simpson, who led entering the tournament.

The champion admitted at the post-round presentation he had no idea upon holing his final putt that victory brought with it the FedEx Cup bounty.

On his escape at the 17th, Haas said: "The second shot, I actually thought I hit a pretty decent shot, I just overhit it a little and maybe pushed it a bit.

"I got an unbelievably fortunate lie, it was basically a bunker shot and it was all or nothing. There was a bit of luck involved - I got some spin on it, I didn't know that - I was very lucky.

"I hung in there, I was very fortunate and it's pretty unbelievable."

Englishman Justin Rose, who won the BMW Championship in Chicago last week, finished fifth in the FedEx Cup standings.

Donald Trails Bradley in Atlanta

Luke Donald is two shots off the lead after shooting a four-under-par 66 in the first round of the Tour Championship in Atalanta.

American Bradley Keegan, the US PGA champion, leads after hitting four birdies in the last seven holes.

Justin Rose birdied the 17th as he ended his round one under with a 69.

Donald and his compatriot Rose are among five players with a realistic chance of clinching the FedEx Cup in the concluding event of the series.

Americans Webb Simpson and Dustin Johnson lead the standings but all 30 players have a theoretical chance of overall victory.

Matt Kuchar is fifth and a win for any of the top five would secure the Cup, and a $10m (£6.4m) bonus.

But any of the elite field, which has been whittled down from 125 in the first of the four FedEx events, can still win overall should the top five fall short.

Jason Dufner, who lost a play-off to Keegan in last month's US PGA, made the brightest start, with birdies in three of the first four holes on his way to a 66.

Donald and Rose were interrupted by a thunderstorm that suspended play before completing their rounds in torrential rain.

England's Rose is third in the FedEx rankings after last week's BMW win in Chicago, while world number one Donald is fourth.

Johnson won the opening event, the Barclays, in New Jersey at the end of August before Simpson won the 100-strong Deutsche Bank tournament in a play-off in Boston at the beginning of September.

Donald is also second on the PGA Tour money list for 2011 and top of the European Tour equivalent, the Race to Dubai, and is bidding to become the first player to win both lists in the same season.

HOW THE FEDEX CUP WORKS

Players pick up points throughout the regular season in each event they play. Most tournaments give 500 points to the winner

The top 125 players enter the play-offs, which consist of four tournaments and where winning carries 2500 points

The field is whittled down to 30 for the final event, the Tour Championship

Points are reset, so that the number one player has 2500 points, number two has 2250 and number 30 has 210

In theory, all 30 players can win the FedEx Cup, but only the top five are guaranteed the trophy if they win the Tour Championship

FEDEX CUP STANDINGS

1. Webb Simpson (USA) 2,500pts

2. Dustin Johnson (USA) 2,250

3. Justin Rose (Eng) 2,000

4. Luke Donald (Eng) 1,800

5. Matt Kuchar (USA) 1,600