Sutherland would not have been playing in the event but for finishing eighth in the Phoenix Open a month ago and he had not won a title in 183 previous attempts on the US Tour.

As the 62nd-ranked player in the 64-strong field, he had to play world number three David Duval in the first round and was two down with two play.

After his semi-final victory over Brad Faxon he admitted he was physically and mentally exhausted, whereas McCarron said he felt as fresh as a daisy.

In the final, McCarron was ahead on six separate occasions.

Yet, despite each and every one of these things, he was the one who completed a week of amazing upsets clutching the seven-figure first prize.

It came 20 years after he also came from behind to beat McCarron in the final of the northern California high school championship.

But however much he enjoyed that win, it did not compare to this.

He lifted the trophy despite hitting only 10 fairways in the entire 36-hole final.

‘‘It’s phenomenal. Next to winning a major the world events are the next best thing because of the quality of the field,’’ he said.

‘‘I don’t know where my driving went and I had some serious doubts about whether I could win, but I was able to hang in there and to do it is just amazing.’’

He attributed his success to a change last week to the ’claw’ grip used by Chris DiMarco and Mark Calcavecchia.

‘‘I saw on the US Tour website that they led the putting stats,’’ said Sutherland. ‘‘I tried it and holed my first 10 putts. There’s no way I would have won this if I had not changed.’’

McCarron, joint runner-up to Len Mattiace at the Nissan Open last week after bogeying the last, missed an eight-foot putt to stay alive on the final green this time, but a cheque for £384,212 ought to make him feel considerably better about his latest near-miss.

And he said confidently afterwards: ‘‘I am playing better than anybody in the world right now. I really feel that.

‘‘It’s brutal to go close again and I’m really disappointed. I felt I played a lot better than my opponent and felt I should have won.

‘‘He was all over the place in the morning, but he made only one bogey and his short game was phenomenal.’’

Meanwhile, the failure of the stars to shine at the championship - not for the first time - has not frightened off the sponsors.

As Sutherland and McCarron did battle, a new four-year deal was being announced, with the likelihood that it stays in California.

That eight of the world’s top 10 failed to survive their first two matches at La Costa, the likely venue again next season at least, was merely following the pattern of the event in its first three years.

In 1999 the casualty rate by the same stage was nine out of 10, Tiger Woods being the exception. Jeff Maggert went on to win.

Two years ago six of the 10 were out of town before Friday Darren Clarke beat Woods in the final.

And even in Melbourne last year, when most of the leading lights did not even play, only one of the top 10 seeds who were there (Ernie Els) made it past the third round. Steve Stricker, the 55th seed, became champion.

It shows what strength in depth golf has, of course, and also that the 18-hole format is almost designed to produce shocks by the bucket-load.

The defeats of Woods, Mickelson and Duval did not help the European contingent at La Costa.

Montgomerie, 2000 winner Darren Clarke, 11th seed Padraig Harrington, Paul Lawrie, Phillip Price, Pierre Fulke, Bernhard Langer and Jesper Parnevik were instant losers, then Lee Westwood and Paul McGinley followed the next day.

When Niclas Fasth and Sergio Garcia were beaten in the third round, Jose Maria Olazabal was left up against seven Americans in the quarter-finals. He got no further.

‘‘I don’t know if you can read anything into it,’’ commented Azinger.

‘‘Europeans are unbelievable, Aussies are great, Japanese players are unbelievable.

‘‘They just bit the bullet this week. They just didn’t hang in there. You might have four in the semi-finals next year.’’

Sutherland, however, nailed his colours firmly to the Stars and Stripes mast.

‘‘I’m biased because I think the PGA Tour has the best players in the world,’’ he said. ‘‘I guess the European tour may argue that fact, but that’s just the way I feel. I think we have the most depth.’’

And McCarron added: ‘‘This is a world championship with a star-studded field, great players, international cast, and to have four Americans in the semi-finals is hopefully something we can take over to the Ryder Cup.’’

The final might have been between the two most notable omissions from the match at The Belfry in September - Lehman and Olazabal - but although they did not make it all the way, nor did anybody who will be there.