Lee Westwood missed a difficult 20-foot putt for a birdie on the 18th hole which would have put him in the playoff, along with Rocco Mediate and eventual winner Tiger Woods.

Despite suffering from illness in the run up to the US Open, Westwood defied the critics to show he's still a contender for the sports biggest prizes.

After carding rounds of 70, 71, 70 and 73 and finishing the tournament on level par, Westwood said: "While I'm disappointed, I'm pleased with myself and I think that I've proved to myself and a few others that there is a major championship in me."

"It's sickening to not be in the play-off but all in all I played pretty well all week and if somebody had said 'you're going to have a chance from 20 feet for a playoff' I would probably have taken that at the start of the week."

Westwood had to settle for third place and a prize of £246,114.48, which leaves him third in the European Order of Merit

The golfer has now finished in the top 10 at the US Open three times, having made nine appearances, and whilst he was bitterly disappointed at missing out on the drama of the playoff, he was pleased with his form at Torrey Pines, specifically around the green.

He said: "It's sickening not to be in the play-off but all in all I played pretty well all week."

"I'm delighted with how my short game held up under pressure and I am pleased with myself."

"I felt pretty calm out there, a little bit nervous, a few butterflies but I thought I stuck in there well. It is just very fine margins."

Westwood briefly held the lead during the final round, but three bogeys in four holes on the back nine saw him fall behind Mediate, although he was still feeling confident as he reached the final couple of holes.

"I knew I wasn't out of it and I had to keep telling myself that."

"I had made a couple of mistakes but a lot can happen over the last few holes and it normally does," he added.

The Worksop star will take plenty of positives from the event, which saw his best finish in a major tournament.

Westwood said: "It is my first real attempt at being in contention to win a major and so to come up one short and to have a chance at the play-off at the last was pretty good."

Now ranked 20th in the world, Westwood will be in action at the Open de France ALSTOM at Le Golf National, Paris, on 26th June.