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| August 23, 2005 | Tuesday | Rajab 17, 1426 |
Tiger Woods battles to one-stroke victory
AKRON (Ohio), Aug 22: Tiger Woods clawed his way to a one-shot win over Chris DiMarco at the $7.5 million WGC NEC Invitational on Sunday, collecting his fourth victory in seven years at the Firestone Country Club.
There was nothing pretty about Woods’s fifth success of the season as he struggled to a final round one-over 71 on the famed South Course that he claims as one of his favourites.
But what the world number one’s performance lacked in style he more than up for with grit and determination, tapping in on 18 for a winning total of six-under 274 to earn his 10th victory in 20 World Golf Championship starts.
DiMarco, who lost to Woods in a playoff at the US Masters in April, carded a two-under 68 but once again had to settle for runner-up honours with five-under 275.
World number two Vijay Singh had a final round three-under 67 to finish in a tie for third at four-under 276 with Irishman Paul McGinley (72) and American Ryan Palmer (69).
Britain’s Luke Donald (67) and David Howell (69) and American Kenny Perry (74) were one shot further adrift on 277.
The victory was the 45th of Woods career moving him past Walter Hagen on the all-time list with Billy Casper now next in his sights with 51.
It was also the richest payday in Woods 10-years on the PGA Tour pocketing a $1.3 million winner’s cheque to push him over the $8.5 million mark in season earnings.
Twice a winner this season, Perry had looked poised to notch his third title after a flawless start to his final round took him to eight-under through eight holes and a two-shot advantage over a faltering field.
But a bogey at the ninth heralded a full-scale collapse as the 45-year-old followed up with dropped shots at 10, 12, 13 and 14 to fall from the chase.
Leading final round scores:
274 — Tiger Woods (US) 66, 70, 67, 71.
275 — Chris DiMarco (US) 67, 70, 70, 68.
276 — Vijay Singh (Fiji) 66, 71, 72, 67; Ryan Palmer (US) 72, 68, 67, 69; Paul McGinley (Ireland) 71, 66, 67, 72.
277 — Luke Donald (Britain) 69, 67, 74, 67; David Howell (Britain) 70, 68, 70, 69; Kenny Perry (US) 70, 69, 64, 74.
278 — Colin Montgomerie (Britain) 70, 72, 68, 68; Zach Johnson (US) 70, 70, 69, 69; David Toms (US) 71, 67, 69, 71; Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain) 72, 68, 66, 72.
279 — Rod Pampling (Australia) 71, 70, 71, 67; Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 66, 71, 72, 70; Davis Love III (US) 67, 73, 69, 70; Stuart Appleby (Australia) 68, 70, 67, 74; Sergio Garcia (Spain) 68, 70, 67, 74.—Reuters
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