Todd Hamilton was the amateur golf star who couldn't make it once he started playing for money, the under-achiever who faced the real possibility that he would have to find something else to do with his life.

But that was 12 years ago. Today Hamilton woke up - if indeed he got any sleep - as Open champion, the sixth American in a row to win at Royal Troon.

And he also woke up never having to worry about money again.

The 38-year-old from Illinois beat world number two Ernie Els in a four-hole play-off last night and so became the second successive long-shot to lift the famous claret jug.

Last year it was Ben Curtis at Sandwich in his very first major. This time it was another US Tour rookie, but one with a very different story to tell.

Hamilton, quoted at odds of 250/1 before the championship even though he had a world ranking of 56 against Curtis' 396, failed at his first seven attempts to get his tour card and did not even try for a number of seasons.

Instead he took himself off to Asia and after early struggles built a successful career for himself, winning no fewer than 11 times in Japan.

Yet in seven previous majors he had never finished higher than 29th and in his 11 tournaments prior to coming to Troon he had six missed cuts and a best finish of 21st. No wonder nobody took any notice of him when he arrived.

It was different come the end of the championship, though. Very different.

"It's a very special feeling," said the father-of-three after the 76-hole drama was over and he was the one £720,000 richer, with the promise of millions more to come.

"I think right now I'm more tired than I am excited. I'm sure the excited part will kick in once I leave the golf course and am able to spend time with my family.

"I'm very fortunate to be sitting here right now. It could have been three or four guys, but as luck would have it I'm the one you have to talk to."

Els had a 10-foot putt on the 72nd green to win his second Open in three years, but it curled wide.

And when he faced virtually the same putt on the same green an hour later it was effectively to stay alive in the play-off.

Once again, though, the South African did not read enough break and Hamilton, having hit a brilliant chip with his fairway wood from short of the green, stepped up and made his two-footer for the title.

Hard though it is to believe, he said he never really felt nervous the entire day.