Ober the Hamp

The 31-year-old American, tied for the lead with Canada's Mike Weir at the start of the day, fired a level-par 72 in bright sunshine at the Pebble Beach Golf Links to finish at 17-under 271.

Six ahead with six holes to play, Oberholser bogeyed 13 and 14 as the pressure mounted but held his nerve over the closing stretch to secure his breakthrough win.

Although he pushed his drive well right at the par-four 15th, the ball bouncing twice on a cart path before ending up to the left of a tree, he struck his second shot to seven feet and sank the birdie putt to restore his five-shot cushion.

His victory margin matched the tournament's previous best achieved by Lloyd Mangrum in 1948 (after 54 holes), Cary Middlecoff in 1956 (after 54 holes), Jack Nicklaus in 1967 (after 72 holes) and Fuzzy Zoeller in 1986, also after 54 holes.

Left-hander Weir, chasing his first PGA Tour title since the 2004 Nissan Open, fell back into a tie for third at 11 under, battling to a 78 after a nightmare start that included a double-bogey seven at the second hole.

Level with Weir was American Jonathan Byrd, after a 69, while South Africa's Rory Sabbatini fired a closing 70 to finish alone in second place at 12 under.

EAGLE PUTT

World number two Vijay Singh, the 2004 winner, holed a 44-foot eagle putt from just off the back of the green at the last for a 68 and a share of seventh place at nine under.

Local favourite Oberholser, a former college student at the nearby San Jose State University, put himself on track for victory with three birdies over the first six holes.

He sank a five-footer at the par-five second after producing a superb escape from the right greenside bunker, rolled in an eight-footer at the par-four third and picked up his third shot of the day with a two-putt at the par-five sixth.

Although he missed a four-foot par putt at the fifth and also bogeyed the difficult par-four ninth after finding a fairway bunker off the tee, he had a four-shot advantage with the tough closing stretch to come.

Weir, who had finished eighth or better in five of his previous six appearances here, ran up a double-bogey seven at the second hole after hitting his second shot out of bounds.

The 2003 U.S. Masters champion then dropped a shot at the third after hitting his approach through the back of the green and offset a birdie-four at the sixth with another bogey at the seventh.

Struggling with his putter on the bumpy greens, Weir went on to bogey 10, 11, 15 and 17 as his title hopes disintegrated.