BETHESDA, Maryland, July 8 - World number one Tiger Woods blamed his putting for a disappointing sixth-place finish at Congressional Country Club on Sunday.

"Didn't putt well," lamented Woods, who hosted the inaugural $6 million tournament in suburban Washington, D.C.

"Yesterday I hit good putts and they didn't go in and today I hit bad putts. Left a lot of putts short.

"I had a lot of trouble getting the ball to the hole this week, and I needed to putt well and they were just not going to go in."

Woods shot an even-par 70 in the final round and finished at two-under 278 for the tournament. He entered the final day seven strokes off the pace and any hopes of making a run at the leaders were dashed with a three-over 38 on the front nine.

Woods bogeyed the fourth and seventh and suffered a double-bogey on the par-five ninth.

"What happened on nine? I got seven consecutive shots and the last one finally went," Woods told reporters. "Seven and nine, both were very frustrating. (They) basically put me out of the tournament."

The 31-year-old had four birdies on the back nine but a three-under 32 was not enough to put him in contention. He finished in a tie for sixth with Australian Robert Allenby.

Woods, a 12-times major winner, said he was in good form for the British Open in two weeks.

"I'm very pleased at the way I hit the golf ball," he said. "The entire week I hit the ball really well. I just didn't make anything this week.

"Just never could get a putt to the hole, and when I did, it usually seemed to kind of fall by the wayside."

South Korean K.J. Choi won the tournament with a nine-under 271 for his second title in the last five weeks.