Tiger in seventh heaven after win
LA JOLLA, California: World No 1 Tiger Woods captured his seventh US PGA Tour victory in as many starts on Sunday, launching his 2007 season with a two-shot victory over Charlie Howell at the Buick Invitational.
Tiger Woods of the US reacts to a missed eagle putt on the 13th hole during fourth round play at the Buick Invitational golf tournament |
Playing partner Howell closed with a 68 for 275 while tour rookie Brandt Snedeker, who had led or shared the lead after each of the first three rounds, finished with a 71 for sole possession of third place on 276.
In addition to winning this event for the third time in a row and fifth time overall, Woods also stretched his US PGA win streak.
The run, stretching back to the British Open at Hoylake in July, is the second longest in US tour history behind Byron Nelson's legendary 11-tournament winning streak in 1945.
"As far as how special seven is, you're in elite company," Woods said. "There's only one person who is ahead of you, and that's one of the legends of the game. It's pretty special."
But Woods himself acknowledges that it is not a "pure" streak, since it has been punctuated by runner-up finishes in non-tour events in Japan and China, as well as disappointments in the World Match Play Championships and Ryder Cup.
"You have to clarify it," he said. "It's not a worldwide streak, it's a PGA Tour streak.
"The thing I'm really excited about is my stroke play record. Since the US Open, my worst finish has been second. That's pretty good, I think."
Woods hasn't confirmed when his next US tour start will be. He heads off now to play in Dubai this week and could return for the Nissan Open in Los Angeles in February.
"I don't know yet," he said. "Going to go to Dubai, play over there, come back and see how I feel.
"It's always hard to get back for some reason over that time zone, I don't know why. We'll see how it goes."
Woods had started Sunday's round two shots behind Snedeker and another rookie, Australian Andrew Buckle.
Woods drained a 26-foot eagle putt at the 609-yard, par-five ninth to seize a share of the lead and set up a back-nine showdown.
Buckle actually led by two strokes through 11 holes, when he was 15-under, but suffered a disastrous double-bogey at the 12th.
The 24-year-old from Brisbane, who twice won the junior world championships held on the South course, was in the right rough on the edge of a bunker off the tee at 12, and in the rough behind a greenside bunker with his second shot.
He sailed his third shot over the green, chipped four feet past and two-putted.
Buckle went on to bogey 15, 16 and 17 before clawing back a shot with a birdie at the par-five 18th to finish with an even par 72.
As less-experienced players faltered, Woods stayed steady, despite finding seven sand traps on the day.
He birdied the par-five 13th, where his eagle try rolled to a stop inches from the cup. He tapped in to take the lead for good, then birdied 17 to give himself a cushion over the hard-pressing Howell.
That came in handy when Woods was again in a bunker at 18 and faced a difficult fourth shot from a depression in the greenside rough.
"It was in a hole. We were just trying to figure out how to play it," Woods said. "I decided to play the sand wedge because I knew I could put a recoil on it so I couldn't double hit it."
Howell was on the green in two at 18, but couldn't capitalize.
"It ain't easy beating that guy," concluded Howell, whose had four of his six birdies on the back nine to keep the pressure on.
"He just doesn't make mistakes. He had great up and downs on 14 and 16 to hang in there, and then his birdie obviously on 17.
"You keep saying it's typical Tiger, yet he keeps doing it, doesn't he?"
AFP
Byron Nelson leads the leaders
The longest winning streaks on the PGA Tour his seventh Tour title in a row:
11 - Byron Nelson, 1945 (Miami Four Ball, Charlotte Open, Greensboro Open, Durham Open, Atlanta Open, Montreal Open, Philadelphia Inquirer Invitational, Chicago Victory National Open, PGA Championship, Tam O'Shanter Open, Canadian Open)
7 - Tiger Woods, 2006-2007 (British Open, Buick Open, PGA Championship, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, Deutsche Bank Championship, WGC-American Express Championship, Buick Invitational)
6 - Ben Hogan, 1948 (US Open, Inverness Round Robin, Motor City Open, Reading Open, Western Open, Denver Open Invitational); Tiger Woods, 1999-2000 (WGC-NEC Invitational, Walt Disney Classic, Tour Championship, WGC-American Express Championship, Mercedes Championships, Pebble Beach National Pro-Am)
4 - Byron Nelson, 1945-1946 (Seattle Open, Glen Garden Invitational, Los Angeles Open, San Francisco Open); Jack Burke junior, 1952 (Texas Open, Houston Open, Baton Rouge Open, St. Petersburg Open); Ben Hogan, 1953 (Masters, Pan American, Colonial, US Open)
(China Daily 01/30/2007 page24)
