Sorenstam, meanwhile, stayed on course for a Grand Slam by claiming her third successive McDonald’s LPGA championship and adding it to the Kraft Nabisco she won in March.

The Swede, who lifted the first of the women’s majors this year by eight strokes, was already six clear entering the last round at Havre de Grace and never looked likely to be caught. She won this time by three after two closing bogeys gave her a 73.

Fifteen-year-old Michelle Wie made it a week to remember for her as well, returning a 69 and climbing into second place, her best-ever finish in a major. England’s Laura Davies was joint third.

Sorenstam has now won nine majors and, incredibly, has now won six of her eight events this year, eight of her last 10 and 10 of her last 14 overall.

Garcia, beaten in a play-off by Vijay Singh at the Wachovia Championship last month, will head into this week’s US Open at Pinehurst full of confidence after his sixth US Tour triumph.

England’s Luke Donald and Lee Westwood were right in the thick of things with 18 holes to play, but Westwood’s hopes were ended when he bogeyed the 12th, double-bogeyed the next and dropped further shots on the 15th and 16th to fall nine adrift.

Donald had four birdies, but also three bogeys, the last of them on the long 15th putting him out of contention.

Garcia also took six there, but came straight back with a birdie for a two-stroke cushion.

When he bogeyed the par-three last for a 65, however, Scott had to birdie one of the final two holes to force a play-off. But instead he bogeyed the 17th.

Collated final round scores in the USPGA Tour, Booz Allen Classic, Congressional G & CC, Maryland, United States of America:

(USA unless stated, par 71):

270 Sergio Garcia (Spa) 71 68 66 65

272 Ben Crane 67 70 68 67, Davis Love III 69 68 69 66, Adam Scott (Aus) 68 67 69 68

274 Ryuji Imada (Jpn) 70 71 66 67

275 Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 69 68 68 70

276 Joey Snyder III 69 72 67 68, Rodney Pampling (Aus) 70 71 66 69, Matt Gogel 63 72 70 71, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 70 69 65 72, Ernie Els (Rsa) 69 67 68 72, Joe Durant 70 67 70 69

277 Tim Clark (Rsa) 67 70 71 69, Tom Kite 68 69 66 74, Robert Allenby (Aus) 68 65 72 72, Chris DiMarco 73 67 70 67, Chad Campbell 72 69 65 71, Paul Goydos 67 69 73 68, Steve Elkington (Aus) 68 67 69 73, Luke Donald (Eng) 70 67 67 73

278 Lee Westwood (Eng) 66 69 69 74, Steve Allan (Aus) 67 70 70 71, Neal Lancaster 69 70 69 70, Kirk Triplett 69 69 69 71, Bob Estes 69 72 67 70, Alex Cejka (Ger) 69 68 68 73, Craig Barlow 71 68 68 71, Brett Quigley 72 68 66 72

279 Phil Mickelson 71 67 67 74, Jason Bohn 70 69 68 72, Fredrik Jacobson (Swe) 66 71 75 67, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 68 69 72 70, Fred Funk 73 68 67 71, Vijay Singh (Fij) 71 69 68 71, Brett Wetterich 66 74 65 74, Shigeki Maruyama (Jpn) 69 67 70 73

280 J.L. Lewis 71 69 68 72, Billy Mayfair 68 71 71 70, Jim Furyk 67 69 70 74, Zach Johnson 73 66 66 75

281 Kevin Stadler 65 73 73 70, Bo Van Pelt 69 70 72 70, Jeff Maggert 69 69 70 73, Carl Pettersson (Swe) 69 71 70 71

282 Brandt Jobe 70 70 73 69, Tommy Armour III 68 68 71 75

283 Tom Pernice Jnr. 68 71 73 71, Ryan Palmer 72 66 71 74, Bill Glasson 69 70 69 75

284 Joey Sindelar 70 71 72 71, Tom Byrum 68 71 69 76, Richard Green (Aus) 72 69 71 72, Jonathan Kaye 72 68 72 72, Brad Faxon 70 71 69 74, Daniel Chopra (Swe) 71 69 72 72, Brenden Pappas (Rsa) 72 68 74 70, Loren Roberts 72 69 69 74

285 James Driscoll 70 71 71 73

286 Retief Goosen (Rsa) 70 70 72 74, Len Mattiace 71 70 73 72, Kevin Sutherland 67 71 73 75, Jeff Sluman 71 70 71 74

287 Olin Browne 71 70 75 71, Michael Allen 67 74 75 71

288 Ted Purdy 71 68 73 76, Rocco Mediate 70 68 76 74

289 Dennis Paulson 71 70 76 72, Jonathan Byrd 71 67 72 79

290 Mark Calcavecchia 69 72 71 78, Jerry Kelly 70 69 73 78.