American Chad Campbelll had been eliminated on the first playoff hole.

Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods finished poorly to surrender any hope of winning.

Playing together an hour ahead of the final pairing, Mickelson and Woods started the day seven strokes off the pace, needing something special to have any chance of winning.

But just as a finish for the ages seemed possible, Mickelson bogeyed the par-four 18th, while Woods bogeyed the final two holes, leaving their many fans stunned.

Mickelson shot 67 to finish at nine-under-par 279, with Woods one stroke further back after a 68.

While Mickelson waited in case off a play-off, Perry led at 13-under after 15 holes, one stroke ahead of compatriot Campbell (16 holes) and two in front of Argentine Angel Cabrera (15 holes).

Earlier, two-time Masters champion Mickelson produced a magnificent front nine, picking up six birdies to go out in 30 strokes, equal to the course record for the outward half.

But he suffered a setback drowning his nine-iron in Raes Creek at the par-three 12th for a double bogey, before fighting back with a birdie at the next.

Mickelson later had an eagle putt from barely one metre at the par-five 15th, but didn't even touch the hole, settling for a birdie, which seemed to take the wind out of his sails.

"It was a tentative putt, because I felt initially it was going to break left and then Tiger's putt broke right and I didn't trust my read," Mickelson said.

"I felt if I could shoot under-par the back nine, I had a chance. I'm not going to leave, but these guys are pretty good."

Woods made his move late, with three birdies in four holes from the 13th.

But a poor tee shot at the par-four 17th left him unable to find the green with his second shot, and he made bogey, before also hitting a poor drive at the last and then striking a tree trunk with his second shot.

Woods, who set a goal to finish at 11-under, said: "It was one of the worst warm-up sessions I've ever had and one of the worst tee shots I've ever hit on the first tee."

Meanwhile, Geoff Ogilvy (69) recorded five consecutive birdies from the 13th hole to finish best Australian at five-under 283, one stroke ahead of Aaron Baddeley (69).

Further back, Stuart Appleby finished at one-under 287, with Robert Allenby two shots further back.

Agencies