Jeju (South Korea), March 16: Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell won the Ballantine's Championship on the third play-off hole after a gripping duel with Jeev Milkha Singh of India on Sunday.

McDowell ripped his approach to within two feet for birdie three as Singh fluffed a four-foot putt to end a day of high drama at the par-72 Pinx Golf Club.

"I'm just glad I was able to hit one stiff at the last," McDowell said. "That was sweet. I've worked unbelievably hard for this. This is pretty sweet to get a win this early in 2008."

The overnight co-leaders had fought to a stalemate over 72 holes and Singh conjured a miraculous escape from 15 feet after bunkering on the second return to the play-off hole, the par-four 18th.

At the third attempt, both players produced precision iron shots but Singh could not put his birdie attempt away, leaving McDowell to putt out for the 511,000-dollar winner's cheque and his first European Tour win since 2004.

Singh had started the day in rip-roaring fashion, completing a birdie hat-trick on the fourth for a three-shot lead as McDowell ran into trouble, landing his approach in bushes and dropping for bogey six.

Singh, who was battling mild flu and injuries from a freak buggy accident, dropped a shot on seven but picked up three around the turn as McDowell raced back into contention with a 10-foot eagle putt on the 10th.

The pair were neck-and-neck going into the final hole but as tensions rose, Singh held his nerve from four feet to match McDowell's 66, aggregate 24-under 264, and force the play-off.

Three-time Ryder Cup winner Paul McGinley was alone in third, seven shots off the leaders, with cowboy hat-toting Shingo Katayama two further back in fourth.

Denmark's Thomas Bjorn closed strongly with 68 to lie alongside rising US star Anthony Kim and Swede Johan Edfors on 14-under 274.

British Open champion Padraig Harrington ended with 74 to finish tied 14th and world number five KJ Choi completed a disappointing tournament for home fans with a 71.

McDowell won the 2002 Scandinavian Masters and 2004 Italian Open. The 28-year-old has been in strong form this season, finishing in the top 10 in Hong Kong and Dubai.

Singh, the son of celebrated Indian athlete Milkha Singh and a hero in his home country, won the 2006 Volvo Masters on top of five Asian Tour victories and has a current ranking of 90.

Singh was the first Indian to break into the world top 50 and the first to qualify for the US Open, winning the Asian merit title in 2006 after yoga and self-improvement books helped him recover from injury and loss of form.

The 2.9-million-dollar Championship was the first European-sanctioned tournament to be played in South Korea.