JUSTIN Rose produced arguably his best performance on the European Tour to date, finishing third in the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open behind Colin Montgomerie and world number one Tiger Woods.

Rose had been three behind at the start and after driving into water on the second and bogeying did well to keep his interest in the title alive right to the end.

Playing partner Owen did take over in third place with an outward 31, but bogeys at the 11th and 15th did for him while Rose had six birdies to be only two behind with two to play.

When he made an eight-footer on the 17th for another that became one, but he drove into heavy rough at the last, had to lay up and only parred.

His chance of being part of the play-off was gone, but third behind two such names represents another big stride forward for the Hampshire youngster.

He had a lifetime-best 62 in last Thursday's pro-am, so all in all it was not a bad week. And not a bad year so far - he began it with two wins in South Africa and two weeks ago added another in Japan.

And it was another day of frustration for Monty. After more than 50 attempts to beat Woods in his career, the big Scot agonisingly came up short again - at the third hole of a sudden-death play-off.

The gripping duel between the two Ryder Cup giants was settled when Montgomerie, having hit his drive into a fairway bunker, went from there into the lake short of the 18th green.

It was their fourth playing of the hole during the day and although Woods had gone over the green himself with his second, Montgomerie knew the writing was on the wall and there was really no escape.

He double-bogeyed, Woods got up and down for par and so the 26-year-old American star won the tournament for the third time in four years - a hat-trick worth more than £750,000 to add to the millions he has been paid just to appear.

It was the 44th victory of his phenomenal career and amazingly his 16th in 34 European Tour-counting events.

For Montgomerie, though, there was the satisfaction that he had stretched Woods to the limit - and had done so with a back problem which he said would have led to his withdrawal if he had not been in contention.

Woods stretched his play-off record to an impressive nine wins and two losses. Montgomerie would rather his was not mentioned.

In eight strokeplay tournaments he has won only one and in 14 sudden-death play-offs in all - including the two World Match Play championships and Alfred Dunhill Cup - it is still that one solitary victory (over Ernie Els in the 1996 Million Dollar Challenge) and 13 defeats.

Earlier Woods had been one up with four holes to play, but Montgomerie holed from 12 feet at the 15th and was favourite at the last when Woods chipped eight feet past.

Montgomerie's second had struck the giant scoreboard just right of the green - and apparently tournament promoter Harald Hartmann as well - but he then chipped to two feet.

It came as no surprise, though, when Woods holed and they finished level on the 20-under-par total of 268, Woods closing with a 68 to Montgomerie's 69.

Woods had the chance to end it on the first play-off hole - and thought he had. But from 14 feet his birdie attempt lipped out and back they went to the 18th tee for the third time in the day.

This time they both just missed the green to the right, but again made par fours. There was to be only one more trip to the tee, however.

Montgomerie had been on the driving range nearly two hours before the final round - but that was not the good sign it might at first have appeared.

"It's not good," he said, "and I'm here early because I've been advised to keep moving rather than sit still."

His early arrival appeared to pay dividends, however. The more balls he hit the freer he became and when he kicked off with two birdies all seemed well - especially as Woods didn't.

Montgomerie then also birdied the long third, but this time Woods made a 20-footer for eagle and when the Scot bogeyed the short fourth after bunkering his tee shot the gap was back to there.

And there it stayed to the turn. But at the 455-yard tenth Woods drew level, holing from ten feet after Montgomerie had driven into the rough and been unable to make the green.

They both birdied the long 12th, but on the 178-yard next, a hole Australian Adam Scott had aced earlier in the day, Woods took the outright lead for the first time all week - courtesy of Montgomerie three-putting for another bogey.

But it was not over. At the 407-yard 15th Woods missed from 15 and, from three feet closer virtually on the same line, Montgomerie holed to level and take the issue to the wire.