What a difference a day makes.

Angel Cabrera started with a triple bogey, leaving him five shots adrift but finished yesterday as the PGA Grand Slam of Golf champion following a dramatic sudden death play-off.

Not even 36 pulsating holes could separate Cabrera and Padraig Harrington, who was four shots clear with just 11 holes remaining.

And it took another three equally nail-biting play-off holes to decide Bermuda's biggest-ever golfing spectacle. The script could not have been written any better.

Staggeringly, the elite foursome were all within a sniff as they surveyed the final hole, with Harrington three under, Cabrera and Zach Johnson tied on two-under and Jim Furyk at one-under par.

But it was huge hitting Cabrera who enforced the play-off with a superb eagle, before squeezing into the fetching pink winner's jacket after beating Harrington with a birdie on the third extra hole on the 18th. They both finished at four-under 136.

Cabrera's unlikely journey began with a spot of 'gardening' after clubbing his first tee shot deep into the bushes.

Attempting to right his wrong, Cabrera then smacked a tree with his second shot, which almost rebounded onto his leg before clipping a branch, sparing him a two-shot penalty.

He was forced to take a drop for an unplayable lie, hacking his way towards the green in two shots, before taking two putts to finish with a triple-bogey seven.

A Grand Slam of Golf contender? Unlikely, especially when he bogeyed the second hole to leave him five strokes behind Harrington.

"The only thing I can say is it was complicated after the first hole, but I was able to come back and that was a great thing," said Cabrera.

"I think I was aiming (the driver) the wrong way and the shot definitely got me into trouble.

"What kept me in the tournament was a great birdie on ten and an eagle on 11. That kept me going."

With Cabrera sloppily bogeying the 16th, it appeared his chances may have imploded before the penultimate hole.

"I think it was more difficult to be two shots behind on the 17th hole than being five shots behind on the second tee," he said. "Because the second tee there was a lot of golf left and not on 17, you don't have too many holes left."

"On the 18th hole, I hit a perfect drive and a perfect three-iron, I think the two best shots of the tournament for sure.

"On the 17th tee I told my caddie I needed to make two and three to be able to get a chance."

Cabrera did enforce the play-off with an eagle at 18, while Johnson, who also required a birdie, shot a bogey to give him a 68 to finish at 139. The consistent Furyk, who shot 11 pars, six birdies and a disastrous triple bogey, recorded a 67 to end on 138.

On the first play-off hole, Cabrera and Harrington made par at number 18 to keep the play-off going at 17, where they again cancelled each other out with pars.

Cabrera bombed another tee shot down the fairway at the third extra hole on 18, while Harrington hit deep into a bunker from his drive.

US Open winner Cabrera then finished his remarkable day's golf with a birdie to send the, by now, deathly silent spectators into raptures.

"I'm never surprised about winning, because that's what I work for," added Cabrera.

After watching his triple bogey to start yesterday, most of those watching from behind the ropes at Mid Ocean Club would probably disagree.