NEW YORK, Jan 24: Former world number one Tiger Woods fired a final round four-under 68 to claim the Buick Invitational by a three-stroke margin over Americans Tom Lehman and Charles Howell III and Britain's Luke Donald.

Playing with an intensity and self-assurance that made him golf's most feared competitor but was missing for large stretches of last season, Woods clawed his way to the top leader board on the final day and would not be pushed off.

Woods finished the fog-affected tournament on 16-under-par 272 to collect his third win at California's picturesque Torrey Pines Country Club. Despite having lost seven pounds and being weakened by flu, Woods' steady performance in difficult conditions confirmed his swing overhaul is now complete and that he is ready to reclaim the number one ranking he surrendered to Fiji's Vijay Singh last season.

The victory was the 41st Tour win of Woods' career but his first stroke play triumph since the WGC in October 2003. While Woods' slump came to an end, Lehman's drought continued, the 2006 Ryder Cup captain having not celebrated a Tour win in five years.

It was the fourth time in seven events that Lehman had led or shared the lead after 54 holes but once again the veteran was not able to close out a victory, carding bogies on his last two holes to finish with a final round one-over 73.

Donald, who lost in a three-way playoff last year to John Daly, had held the lead with nine holes to play. But after shooting almost error-free golf all week, Donald made a crucial mistake on the par-four 14th and his double-bogey six surrendered a lead he would never recover.

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