Golf: The golfing gods produced a story of outrageous proportions on the bone-hard links of Royal St George's yesterday. Ben Curtis, plucked from obscurity, and playing in his very first major, took whatever favourable bounces were going on fickle fairways and firm greens and, staying in the zone that all players wish and pray for, simply ignored those unfavourable ones on the way to achieving his golfing destiny.

As fate dealt a cruel hand to others, Curtis - a 26-year-old American in his "rookie" season on the US Tour - defied those who deemed you have to learn to lose a major before you can win one. On a dry day, with just enough wind to ensure creative shot-making was an integral part of the game, Curtis ignored the fact some of the biggest names in golf were cluttering the leaderboard to fire a closing round 69 for one-under-par 283, one ahead of Thomas Bjorn and Vijay Singh.

For much of the afternoon, Bjorn seemed destined to claim the 132nd British Open title; and, for sure, he will look back and believe it should have been his. On Thursday, the Dane incurred a two-stroke penalty for hitting a bunker on the 17th hole in frustration - an incident that will haunt him for a long, long time - and yesterday, the sands of doom took further vengeance on him. Seemingly cruising along, he crumbled on the final stretch of holes with a run of bogey-double bogey-bogey from the 15th. It was to prove a costly run in.

Most damage was inflicted at the short 16th hole.

After his tee-shot found a greenside trap, Bjorn was forced to take three shots to extricate himself from the bunker after his first two efforts rolled back in off the slick green.

"I was in a situation where I should have done better and fought everyone off (but) I will bounce back . . . guys win major championships out of the blue and this is one that has won from out of the blue," insisted Bjorn.

Others, too, could later cast a cold eye at the hand of fate. What of Tiger Woods, for instance? His very first shot of the championship plunged into rough and wasn't found in the requisite five minutes search time. It also cost Woods a two-shot penalty and, yesterday, the world's number one was to finish only two strokes adrift of Curtis, alongside Davis Love III.

"I put myself right where I needed to be," claimed Woods, "but just didn't make the putts and didn't hit the proper shots. You've got to have things go your way to win. On times that I've won, I've had some great breaks go my way . . . this week, I got my share of good breaks, and also got my share of really bad ones too."

Woods has won eight majors but never has he won when trailing going into the last round, and this proved to be another frustrating afternoon for him.

In the great scheme of things, Curtis's win is one of the more unlikely in major history. It ranks up there with John Daly's win in the 1991 US PGA and with Jack Fleck, an obscure professional, beating the legendary Ben Hogan in a play-off to win the US Open in 1955. In making a comparison with Paul Lawrie's win in the Open at Carnoustie in 1999, at least he was a battle-hardened tour professional who had cut his teeth on the European Tour for the previous seven years.

Curtis earned his place in the championship by virtue of finishing 13th in the Western Open in Chicago a fortnight ago and claiming one of the exempt spots on offer. He never thought of not making the transatlantic trip. Indeed, he flew over a week early to familiarise himself with the course and was the first player to register. For a player who only last year was playing on the Hooters Tour - effectively the third division in the US - it was a remarkable transformation.

Yet, to him, it seemed as if he was destined to win.

From Kent, Ohio, the journey to Kent, England, was like a home from home. He stayed in a local bed and breakfast and secured an English caddie, Andy Sutton, who normally caddies for European Tour player Jon Bickerton. Yesterday, while everyone looked to Singh or Woods or Love or Garcia or Perry to take the championship by the scruff of the neck, it was Curtis - ranked 396 in the world - and Bjorn who did so.

Curtis picked up six birdies in his opening 11 holes - moving to five-under - only to falter coming home, with bogeys on the 12th, 14th, 15th and 17th. As he leaked shots, Bjorn took the initiative and, by the time he reached the 15th tee, the Dane was four under and seemingly in control. Then he found a fairway bunker on the 15th and worse was to follow with his bunker play on the 16th.

"I needed not to make any mistakes and all of a sudden it blew up in my face," lamented Bjorn. A further bogey on the 17th copper-fastened his fate.

While Bjorn was suffering on the 16th, Curtis, unaware of what was happening in the pairing three back, was holing a nine footer for par on the 72nd hole. It was the putt that won him the championship. After becoming the first player under-par, he retreated to the sanctuary of the practice range where he alternated between hitting shots and watching the scene unfold on television. When Bjorn's chip for an attempted birdie on the last finished inches from the cup, that was it - and a story as unlikely as that in the film Tin Cup had come true.

"I'm one of the few that's had the opportunity to do this in the world. There's so many professionals out there that set the dream to win a major and I did it first try. I feel I got a lot of lucky bounces and some that didn't go my way. I feel I am in great company and like I don't really belong right now. But I knew in my mind that I did. Right now, many people are probably saying, 'well, he doesn't belong there', but I know I do, so that's all that matters. I'm just a normal guy who happens to have a lot of talent."