For the second successive year, Padraig Harrington suffered PGA Grand Slam misery in a play-off.

And again it took a spectacular eagle at Mid Ocean Club's specially-designed par-five 18th to deny him the title - this time by his Ryder Cup rival Jim Furyk.

With South Africans Retief Goosen and Trevor Immelman stuttering over the two days, it became almost a match play contest coming down the stretch yesterday with Harrington and Furyk failing to snatch opportunities to settle the affair in regulation.

Ultimately, after both players had fired identical rounds of two-under-par 68 over the last 18 holes for a four-under total of 136 – they also shot 68 on Tuesday – it was finally decided at the first extra hole, up until this tournament a hole played as a much shorter par-four for the members.

Booming drives straight down the fairway, followed by superb approach shots onto the green left the two players facing eagle putts.

As three-time major champion Harrington saw his effort dive into the hole from 18 feet and then agonisingly pop out, Furyk was left with an eight footer to grab his second Grand Slam crown. And he made no mistake.

He won the same championship five years' ago, the year he lifted the US Open.

Harrington, meanwhile, still awaits his first.

At the same short, but deceptively tricky, Mid Ocean course a year ago, it took an Angel Cabrera eagle at the third play-off hole (again the 18th) to dash his hopes.

Furyk, $600,000 richer for his efforts, was delighted with the win.

"Obviously I'm very happy with the outcome," he said. "I really came here with, I won't say low expectations but not a lot of expectations. I have not played a lot of golf since the Tour Championship but I played a lot of golf this year and was worn out and worn down . . .

"I was kind of fortunate just to be in this tournament to be honest with you. I didn't win a major championship.

"So I kind of treated this week like I had nothing to lose. I was going to come over here and have fun.

"Rarely do I kind of go (into a tournament) thinking about having fun. I'm usually all business and maybe this is something to learn.

"I kind of kept plugging away and didn't let too many things bother me and didn't really worry about how anyone else was playing and that all worked out in the end."

Masters champion Immelman was effectively pushed out of the tournament after the first day when he recorded a disappointing six-over 76, but rebounded with a one-under 69 yesterday – containing two birdies and an impressive eagle at the par-four, 357-yard 14th where he drove the green – to finish at five-over.

His compatriot, Goosen, was still in the hunt yesterday until driving into the jungle left of the fairway at the 12th, where he lost his ball and ended up with triple-bogey. He finished at one-over 71 for a 141 total.

Furyk, playing in his fourth Grand Slam and as an alternate this year after Tiger Woods was forced to pull out with injury, and Harrington swapped the lead over the closing holes with neither able to take complete control.

Harrington had taken a two-shot lead at the par-five 11th where the American, whose unorthodox swing was once likened to that of 'an octopus falling out of a tree' could manage only par.

And that margin remained after the difficult par-four 12th, where Goosen's charge faded. Immelman, already over eight-over at this point, salvaged par but both Furyk and Harrington made bogey.

Furyk reduced the deficit to one with a laser-like tee shot at the par-three 13th where he sunk his birdie putt.

And two holes later he got his nose in front, making par as the Irishman drove into thick bushes, an error that was to cost him dearly.

Taking a 'line of sight' drop, he ended up with double bogey.

"Fifteen was key," recalled Furyk. "Paddy had a one-shot lead on me and had missed a birdie putt on 14 that could have got him two-up but then he hits it in the cabbage and makes double and I was able to convert and make a par at 15. So I went from one-down to one-up."

And Harrington might have slipped further behind but for making a treacherous, 12-foot downhill putt on the 16th.

The title chase took yet another twist at the par-three 199-yard 17th as Furyk paid for a poor chip and took bogey while this year's British Open and PGA champ sunk yet another lengthy putt to make birdie and regain the lead.

It was, however, to be shortlived with Harrington failing to get up and down from a greenside bunker at the 18th and Furyk missing an eagle putt for outright victory, thus forcing the play-off.

Earlier on a Mid Ocean course protected by its lightning fast and heavily contoured greens, it was Harrington who seemed to be in complete control as he made birdie at holes one and two and added a couple more at eight and nine to make the turn at three-under.

But Furyk, with birdies at three and six, and a card still unblemished by bogey, was never far behind.

FINAL SCORES

* Jim Furyk 68-68-136 ($600,000)

Padraig Harrington 68-68-136 ($300,000)

Retief Goosen 70-71-141 ($250,000)

Trevor Immelman 76-69-145 ($200,000)