Harrington beat Woods, joint overnight leaders, on the second hole of the playoff after catching Woods on the 16th in the final round and finishing level at nine-under-par 271.

Japan's Keiichiro Fukabori was third at one stroke further back, after carding the day's best score of 64 to finish with 272.

Harrington, 35, who lifted his first European Order of Merit title in October, sank a three-foot put after recovering from potential trouble on the par five 560-yard second hole of the playoff.

His tee shot landed just behind two spreading trunks of a pine tree but he blasted the ball through a 30-foot-wide gap between the trunks onto the rough.

His approach shot found its way close to the cup and he birdied to win after Woods missed his 12-foot putt.

Woods won here last year after beating Japan's Kaname Yokobori on a fourth ball play-off.

Woods was seeking his 10th title of what has been an emotional year for the 30-year-old whose father Earl died in May.

He won the British Open and the PGA Championship earlier this year, but was beaten this month into second spot by unheralded South Korean Yang Yong-Eun at the HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai following a five-week holiday break.

AFP Miyazaki: Newly crowned European Order of Merit champion Padraig Harrington beat Tiger Woods in a play-off Sunday, denying the world number one a third straight win at the Dunlop Phoenix golf tournament.

Harrington beat Woods, joint overnight leaders, on the second hole of the playoff after catching Woods on the 16th in the final round and finishing level at nine-under-par 271.

Japan's Keiichiro Fukabori was third at one stroke further back, after carding the day's best score of 64 to finish with 272.

Harrington, 35, who lifted his first European Order of Merit title in October, sank a three-foot put after recovering from potential trouble on the par five 560-yard second hole of the playoff.

His tee shot landed just behind two spreading trunks of a pine tree but he blasted the ball through a 30-foot-wide gap between the trunks onto the rough.

His approach shot found its way close to the cup and he birdied to win after Woods missed his 12-foot putt.

Woods won here last year after beating Japan's Kaname Yokobori on a fourth ball play-off.

Woods was seeking his 10th title of what has been an emotional year for the 30-year-old whose father Earl died in May.

He won the British Open and the PGA Championship earlier this year, but was beaten this month into second spot by unheralded South Korean Yang Yong-Eun at the HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai following a five-week holiday break.