Tiger Woods of the U.S. kisses the Claret Jug trophy after winning the British Open in St. Andrews July 17, 2005. Woods won the 134th British Open on Sunday by five shots with a 14-under-par 274 total. (Reuters)

Tiger Woods, the world's top-ranked golfer, shot a final 2-under-par round of 70 at St. Andrews, Scotland, to win his second British Open and 10th career major championship.

The 29-year-old American, who also claimed a fourth Masters Tournament victory in April, won the year's third major by five shots from Colin Montgomerie. Woods ended with a four-round total of 274, 14-under par on the Old Course, the venue for his record- breaking first Open triumph five years ago.

Woods began the final round two strokes ahead of two-time Masters winner Jose Maria Olazabal, who only qualified for the event when Spanish countryman Severiano Ballesteros withdrew last month. The only player to have held all four majors at the same time, Woods needs another eight to catch Jack Nicklaus, who retired as a professional after failing to make the halfway cut two days ago.

It was Woods's fourth victory of 2005 and the 59th in a nine- year professional career in which he's earned $61.3 million in prize money excluding the 720,000-pound ($1.6 million) check he received today in addition to the winner's Claret Jug.

Woods becomes the sixth golfer, and the first since Tom Weiskopf in 1973, to win the championship after leading at the end of every round. Woods, who in 2000 shot a record 19-under-par total of 269 to win the Open at St. Andrews for the first time, has never surrendered a lead going into the final round of a major championship.

One of only five players to have won each major title, Woods also has the record low score to par in the Masters and U.S. Open and a share of that record with Bob May in the U.S. PGA Championship. He has now won each of the majors twice, a record he shares with Nicklaus.

His victory ends an 11-year streak in which the sport's oldest major championship has gone to a first-time champion.

(Agencies)