Norman wins entire $1 million purse

Greg Norman won the entire $1 million purse at the 19th annual Skins Game on Sunday, sending Tiger Woods, defending champion Colin Montgomerie and Jesper Parnevik home empty-handed.

The Australian followed a birdie putt that won the 17th hole with a conservative two-putt par on 18 that was worth $800,000. He collected the remaining $200,000 on the second extra hole at the Landmark Golf Club.

Norman had predicted that the rule changes would mean the annual made-for-TV event may go down to the last hole with the full $1 million on the line.

Under the new format, a player who wins a skin could not collect the money unless he won or tied for the lowest score on the next hole.

As a result, the entire $300,000 up for grabs on the front nine on Saturday rolled over to Sunday and the pot for each hole kept growing as no one managed to win a skin early on the back nine.

Norman's birdie at the 17th proved particularly costly for Parnevik. The Swede had picked up the day's first skin at the 16th and needed only to halve the 17th to collect $630,000.

But Parnevik could only manage a par and watched a fortune slip away.

"Greg came in and stole it from me on 17. That hurt a little bit," Parnevik said.

In three previous appearances in the Skins Game, Norman had pocketed a total of $200,000. He quadrupled that haul with one putt on Sunday.

"I've never had to make a par for $800,000 in my life," Norman said.

Beating world number one Woods made the victory even sweeter for Norman.

TIGER'S SCALP
"It is not like you want Tiger's scalp on the mantle," said the 46-year-old former world number one. "It is the fact that he is the best player and you like to beat the best player. I know that feeling. I have been there many times."

The quartet had to contend with strong winds that turned many of their shots into a guessing game.

"There was a three to four-club wind out there sometimes," Parnevik said.

"It was strong and it does affect the height Tiger hits the ball as well," said Scotsman Montgomerie. "It affected him more than us mere mortals."

At the pivotal 18th, Woods and Montgomerie each found the water with their second shots and Parnevik buried himself under the lip of a fairway bunker, leaving Norman with some options.

"When both Colin and Tiger hit it in the water, I was a bit perplexed how to play it," Norman said. "I knew five would tie, and the only person that had a good chance at that was Jesper."

Norman intentionally put himself in a greenside bunker, blasted to 25 feet and two-putted, rolling in a four-foot par effort to pick up 17 skins and $800,000.

After the $200,000 18th hole was halved, the foursome went back to 18 to start the playoff.

Woods was eliminated on the first playoff hole after he parred and the other three birdied.

"I walk away with no skins, so it isn't exactly a good feeling," Woods said. "But then again, with the new format it is very difficult to win skins."

Norman kept himself in contention to take the whole pot of money by sinking a 20-foot birdie putt.

"When I made that four I thought 'Let's really make it a seven-digit day instead of a six-digit day'," Norman said.

He turned his winnings into a cool million dollars with a birdie at the 300-yard, par-four 14th hole, driving into a greenside bunker, blasting out to four feet and sinking his putt.