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LA JOLLA, California: Tiger Woods fired a one-under
par 71 on Sunday to win the $5.2 million Buick Invitational by eight
shots over Japan’s Ryuji Imada.
Woods, who started the day with a
commanding eight-stroke lead, finished with a 19-under total of 269
to claim his fourth straight and sixth career title at this event.
As well as continuing his run of
success at Torrey Pines, the victory was the 62nd of Woods’
career, tying him with Arnold Palmer for fourth on the all-time
list.
“I congratulate Tiger,”
Palmer said. “I’m sure that there are many, many more [wins]
coming in the future. There isn’t any question about that. I wish
him all the luck in the world.”
Woods wasted no time Sunday
morning in extending his lead, opening with a birdie at the first
hole that gave him a nine-shot cushion. He stretched his lead to 10
with a birdie at the sixth.
Imada had one of the best rounds
of a rainy day, his 67 catapulting him from a tie for eighth at the
start of the day to second at 11-under 277.
“My goal going into today was
to finish second, and you know, that’s almost like winning the
golf tournament to me,” Imada said. “With Tiger having an
eight-shot lead or whatever there was pretty much no chance for me
to catch him.”
Woods bogeyed the eighth to drop
to 19-under and finished the front nine 1-under.
Woods struggled coming in, making
three birdies, but also making three straight bogeys. His 71 was his
first round in the 70s since an opening round 72 the first week of
September at the Deutsche Bank Championship. He had posted 19 rounds
in the 60s.
“Today, I wanted to go out
there and shoot an under-par round and have no bogeys,” Woods
said. “I got half of it right.”
Stewart Cink, who started Sunday
in second place, fired a one-over 73 to finished tied for third with
South African Rory Sabbatini (67) at nine-under.
The win marked the second time
Woods has won an event four consecutive times. The other was Bay
Hill, which he won from 2000 to 2003.
“It’s just one of those
things where some people just have an affinity for certain golf
courses, like my buddy [Mark] O’Meara won five times up at Pebble,
I guess Sam [Snead] at Greensboro and [Jack] Nicklaus at Augusta,”
Woods said.
“Guys that have won a number of
times at certain venues, and somehow this golf course seems to have
been pretty good for me.”
Woods’ success seems to bode
well for this year’s US Open, which will be held here at the South
Course at Torrey Pines.
“This course has been really
kind to me,” Woods said. “Ever since junior golf all the way
through my professional ranks, I’ve somehow really seemed to have
played well here. It fits my eye. I feel very comfortable here.”
--AFP
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