ORLANDO (Florida), March 18: Tiger Woods became the first player to win three different US PGA Tour events three years in succession when he claimed a four-stroke victory at the $4 million Bay Hill Invitational Sunday.

The world number one fired a closing three-under-par 69 to finish 13-under on 275, four shots clear of New Zealander Michael Campbell (71). Phil Mickelson, Rocco Mediate, John Huston and Len Mattiace shared third place on 280.

Woods, 26, who lives in Orlando, won the Memorial and WGC-NEC Invitational three times each between 1999 and 2001, and has now lifted the Bay Hill title in 2000, 2001 and 2002.

The win was his 30th on the US PGA Tour, making him the youngest ever to reach that milestone. The victory was also Woods’s first since last August’s WGC-NEC Invitational.

Woods once again showed how good he is at front running, winning for the 22nd time in 24 attempts after holding or sharing the 54-hole lead.

He jump-started his round with a par-saving putt at the eighth hole before posting three birdies on the back nine.

Woods did hang around on a day that saw numerous challengers emerge, but then falter on the back nine.

The most serious threat came from Mickelson, ranked number two in the world. At one point, the left-hander held a two-stroke lead over Woods, but he bogeyed four of the final five holes to fade to a 71.

Argentine Angel Cabrera also held a one-shot lead before a bogey and a triple bogey over the last four holes gave him a closing 73 for 282.

Woods appeared to be in complete control after a second-round 65 gave him a four-stroke lead heading into the weekend.

Through the first 36 holes, Woods made just one bogey, but a two-over 74 Saturday that included four bogeys brought him back to the field and he started out Sunday with only a one-shot advantage.

Woods bogeyed the par-four first hole for the second straight day to fall back to nine-under, but got it back with a birdie at the par-five fourth.

Mickelson, meanwhile, was charging with birdies at the third and fourth taking him to nine-under.

Mickelson then made a curving 25-foot birdie putt at the par-four eighth to reach 10-under, while Woods missed a 12-foot par attempt from just off the green at the par-five sixth to drop back to nine-under.

The left-hander increased his lead to two strokes with a 12-foot birdie putt at the par-four 10th, but Woods caught him at 11-under with back-to-back birdies at the ninth and 10th.

Another birdie from 12 feet at the par-five 12th gave Mickelson a one-shot lead, but that proved short-lived.

He started to struggle when he missed a 20-foot par putt at the par-four 14th and then signed off with three consecutive bogeys.

Woods took command with a tap-in birdie at the par-five 12th and another birdie at the par-five 16th increased his lead to three shots over Campbell.

Leading final round scores (US unless stated):

275 — Tiger Woods 67, 65, 74, 69.

279 — Michael Campbell (New Zealand) 72, 68, 68, 71.

280 — Rocco Mediate 69, 70, 71, 70; John Huston 67, 71, 70, 72; Phil Mickelson 69, 71, 69, 71; Len Mattiace 73, 66, 68, 73.

281 — Harrison Frazar 69, 70, 71, 71; Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain) 71, 68, 70, 72.

282 — Angel Cabrera (Argentina) 67, 70, 72, 73; Ernie Els (South Africa) 70, 67, 72, 73; Sergio Garcia (Spain) 68, 71, 70, 73; Scott Hoch 71, 68, 70, 73; Pat Perez 70, 69, 69, 74.

283 — Peter Lonard (Australia) 71, 72, 72, 68.

284 — Rod Pampling (Australia) 68, 72, 72, 72; Steve Lowery 71, 70, 73, 70; Jerry Kelly 70, 69, 74, 71; Retief Goosen (South Africa) 71, 73, 69, 71; Stewart Cink 68, 71, 71, 74; John Daly 67, 71, 71, 75; Vijay Singh (Fiji) 69, 71, 69, 75.—Reuters