Woods defends Doral title
2006-03-06 07:50
Mark Lamport-Stokes
Miami - Tiger Woods survived a
stuttering finish to clinch his third victory of the year with
a one-shot triumph at the Doral Championship on Sunday.
The world No 1, two ahead overnight in his title
defence at Doral's Blue Monster course, bogeyed the last two
holes for a three-under-par 69.
That left Woods at 20-under 268, a stroke in front of
fellow American David Toms and PGA Tour rookie Camilo Villegas
of Colombia who carded matching 67s.
Sony Open champion Toms reeled off six birdies in
relatively calm conditions at Doral and had a chance to force a
playoff before three-putting for a bogey-five at the final
hole.
"If I put myself there enough times, those things are going
to happen, as well as other guys are going to make birdies to
beat me," Woods told reporters after securing the 48th PGA Tour
title of his career.
"That's the way it goes. As long as I'm there each and
every time, it's not a bad place to be.
"Once David Toms had made his mistake (on 18), I just said
anything in the back bleachers, right bleachers, just anything
over there to the right and over the water is all I had to do,
just trying to play for five. I wasn't even trying to make
par."
First player to defend the trophy
Wayward off the tee for most of the round, Woods became the
second player in the tournament's 45-year history to
successfully defend the title, following compatriot Raymond
Floyd in 1981.
He tightened his grip on the trophy with a birdie at the
par-five first.
A prodigious drive over 300 yards at the par-four fifth and
an approach to four feet set up another and Woods picked up his
third shot at the par-four seventh, despite missing his sixth
fairway in a row to the left.
From the rough, where he was fortunate his ball had bounced
back from the trees, the 10-times major winner struck his
approach to eight feet before making the putt to get to 20
under.
He then parred eight and nine to reach the turn in
three-under 33, three ahead of the chasing pack.
Disappointing finishes for Els and Goosen
Although Toms closed to within a stroke of the lead with
birdies on 10 and 11, Woods regained his three-shot cushion
with birdies on 11 and 12.
He holed a 10-footer at the par-four 11th and became the
only player in the final round to reach the green in two at the
603-yard, par-five 12th where a two-putt left him at 22 under.
His advantage was again trimmed to one, however, after Toms
birdied 16 and Woods dropped his first shot of the day at the
par-four 17th, overrunning the green with his approach before
missing a six-foot par putt.
Although Woods also bogeyed the last after finding the
right greenside bunker with his approach, it was good enough to
secure him victory with Toms having dropped at the same hole
moments earlier.
World No 4 Ernie Els, back at Doral for the first
time since he won the tournament in 2002, carded a 69 to tie
for seventh at 13 under.
Among the other big names, world No 3 Retief Goosen
fired an eight-birdie 66 to finish at 11-under 277, level with
second-ranked Vijay Singh who closed with a 67.
- Reuters