Sunday, May 20, 2001
Woods' dramatic eagle lifts
him to victory at Deutsche Bank
By ROY KAMMERER
Associated Press Writer
HEIDELBERG, Germany (AP) — Until the
crowd roared, Tiger Woods had no idea the shot that propelled
him toward another dramatic victory had dropped into the hole.
Woods pulled two strokes clear of New Zealand's
Michael Campbell when his 7-iron from 175 yards flew straight
into the cup for an eagle-2 at the 13th hole of the Deutsche Bank-SAP
Open on Sunday.
“I didn't know if it went over the
green or into the hole, then I heard the roar,” said Woods,
who clapped the hands of caddy Steve Williams in joy.
Ten strokes behind Campbell at the halfway
mark, Woods finished with a four-stroke victory at 22-under 266,
winning the tournament for the second time in three years and
registering a victory for the fourth time in his last five events.
With an eagle-3 on the first hole and three
birdies against one bogey, Woods shot a 6-under 66, while Campbell
went 70-270.
Woods and Campbell traded the lead several
times until the eagle at the short 396-yard, par-4 13th.
“It was a great shot by a great player,”
said Campbell. “I was doing fine, then suddenly he turned
things around. It was pretty hard for me from there.”
The victory was Woods' first since the historic
Masters that completed his sweep of the majors, and was his 12
in 24 events he's played that count toward the European money
title. Though he doesn't play on the European tour, the victory
also pushed him to No. 3 on the all-time money list, passing former
Masters champion Ian Woosnam.
Australia's Peter O'Malley, with a final-round
69, and Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen, with 65, tied for third at 17
under.
Woods' 10-stroke comeback was one of his
biggest since rallying from 11 behind two-time U.S. Open champion
Ernie Els midway through the 1998 Johnnie Walker Classic in Thailand.
After opening rounds of 69 and 68, he climbed
back into the event with a blistering 9-under 63 on Saturday,
while Campbell struggled to a 73.
“That was the key,” Woods said.
“He could have blown us all out with another low round, but
fortunately he didn't. It's awful hard to follow up two great
rounds like that.”
Campbell's 17-under 127 (62-65) two-day
total was one of the lowest ever recorded on the European tour.
The 13th hole was the fifth eagle of the
event for Woods and his second of the day after one at the 558-yard,
par-5, where he dropped a 15-foot putt.
That eagle lifted him into the lead as playing
partner and third-day leader Eduardo Romero of Argentina —
one shot ahead of both Woods and Campbell at the time — bogeyed
and faded with a 5-over 77.
Campbell then passed Woods by a stroke by
stringing together three birdies in his first four holes, and
the lead switched hands twice more.
“I knew I was going to have to hit
birdies to win — Michael wasn't going to hand it to me,”
Woods said.
Then came the key swing. Preparing for his
second shot at the 13th, Woods pulled out a 6-iron. But the wind
died and he shifted to a 7-iron, and knocked it straight into
the cup at the St. Leon-Rot course.
“I thought the ball had flown the green
— then I heard the roars and all the carrying on and realized
what had happened,” Campbell said.
Woods grinned the whole way up the 13th
fairway, waving at the large crowds. He reportedly received a
$2.2 million appearance fee to play in the tournament, where he
recorded his 32nd official 72-hole title worldwide.
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