Tiger Woods posts first tour win in 10 months
Associated Press
DULUTH, Ga. (AP) - It was a struggle, but Tiger Woods finally
won again.
He ended a 10-month PGA Tour winless streak Sunday, finishing
one stroke ahead of Jay Don Blake in the BellSouth Classic.
The 22-year-old, who won six of the first 21 PGA Tour events
he entered as a professional, hadn't won on tour since taking
the Western Open in early July, a span of 15 tournaments. He also
is well out of contention with a round left in the suspended Pebble
Beach National Pro-Am.
Woods, who had a three-stroke lead entering the final round,
shot an even-par 72 for a 17-under 271 total over the 7,259-yard
TPC at Sugarloaf.
He said he enjoyed holding off Blake and winning the way he
did.
"I think if you shoot a 62 to win it's not as satisfying
as grinding it out and winning while not having your best stuff,"
said Woods, who won $342,000 to increase his earnings for the
year to $1,003,586.
Woods, who won a PGA European Tour event in Thailand in January,
last played at the Masters in April, finishing eighth. He also
had two seconds and a third earlier this year.
"I came here this week playing pretty good, put it all
together somehow and won," he said.
Woods, who shot a course-record 63 on Saturday, made three
bogeys and three birdies Sunday. All three bogeys came on the
front nine.
"I didn't play all that great, but I got a couple of lucky
breaks, which is what it takes," Woods said. "I didn't
have my timing on my swing and didn't give myself a chance for
many birdies."
The lucky breaks came on Nos. 9 and 11. He thought he had hit
his balls into the water on both.
On 9, a 465-yard par-4, his second shot rolled into the deep
rough, but stayed out of the water about 15 feet below the green.
Woods chipped on and two-putted from 25 feet for a bogey.
"If I go in the water, it's a double-bogey," he said.
On 11, a 189-yard par-3, his tee shot landed over the green
on a hill about 30 yards beyond, barely missing the water on the
left. He chipped within four feet from high grass and made par.
"When I got past 11 and nobody was going (shooting) low,
I felt I had a chance," Woods said. "The rest of the
holes were down wind and I knew I would get a birdie somewhere."
Blake, a winner once in 12 years on tour, shot a steady 70
to finish at 272.
"I'm sure he (Woods) wasn't pleased with the way he played,
but I didn't do anything to get him," said Blake, who earned
$194,400 after missing the cut in his two previous tournaments.
"Every time I thought I had a chance, he would do something
to save himself," Blake said.
"I hit it pretty good. No great shots, but early in the
round I let some good birdie chances slip away."
Esteban Toledo and Steve Flesch tied for third at 274. Toledo
had a final-round 67 and Flesch a 69.
Scott Verplank, who shot the day's best round of 65, was among
a group of five another shot back.
Stewart Cink, in the final threesome with Woods and Blake,
also got within a stroke of Woods on the front nine with a 1-under
35 before going one over on the back for a 72 and 275. Divots:
Scott McCarron, who won the inaugural BellSouth played at Sugarloaf
last year, was far back at 4-under 284 after a 69. ... The record
for the 30-year-old BellSouth tournament is a 23-under 265, set
by Andy Bean and tied by Dave Barr when the event was held at
Atlanta Country Club. ... David Duval, who won last week at Houston
and has five victories in the last seven months, shot a final-round
65 to wind up at 10 under. ... Georgia Tech sophomore Matt Kuchar,
the U.S. Amateur champion who shot par at the Masters, had a 74
and wound up at 284. ... First-round leader Mark Calcavecchia
shot his third straight over-par round Sunday. After a 7-under
65 Thursday, he had rounds of 75-76-73 to close at 289.
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