2005 HSBC Champions Tournament - Round 4: Howell tames Woods to lift HSBC Champions title

England's David Howell enjoyed his biggest career victory on Sunday when he beat world number one Tiger Woods in a thrilling head-to-head duel to lift the inaugural US$5 million HSBC Champions.

The 30-year-old Howell fired a final round of four-under-par 68 to win Asia's richest tournament by three strokes from Woods, who closed with a 70 at Sheshan International Golf Club.

Australian Nick O'Hern and Nick Dougherty of England shared third place, six strokes behind the champion, while Asia's best finisher was Thailand's Thaworn Wiratchant in equal eighth position.

Howell, who totalled a superb 20-under-par 268 for the week, prevailed in a classic David vs Goliath battle as he went toe-to-toe with the 10-time major champion and triumphed. The underdog enjoyed a superb start with four birdies over his opening seven holes to extend his overnight one shot lead to four.

Bogeys on the eighth and ninth holes left the door slightly ajar for Woods but Howell, the world's number 19, showed his class by bouncing straight back with birdies on 10 and 12. It was all over when Woods sent his tee shot into the hazard on the short par four 16th.

"Well, this is maybe something I have dreamed of but probably didn't think was going to come true. Obviously this is a big, new event, and we came here looking for a good finish. You end up in the last group with the lead playing with the world's number one player, and you know it's going to be a big day in your career.

"Obviously I'm quite pleased with the way I handled myself, and was able to come out on top," said Howell, whose third European Tour triumph was worth US$833,300.

As Howell reduced Woods to his second straight runner-up finish, the Englishman said his HSBC Champions triumph would be long remembered. "We're all honored as golfers to have the chance to try and beat him. So I guess any time anyone plays against Tiger in the last day like today, it's almost like the FA Cup Final for the underdogs and I was able to come on top.

"I was nervous all day but I'm not so sure if it was because of Tiger, strangely. It was a big tournament and I wanted to win. Tiger can't affect me, he can't punch me like a boxing match, he can't hit the ball at me like a tennis match. He can only shoot a score and I can only shoot a score, so I was more worried with how I coped with myself," said Howell.

The 29-year-old Woods, winner of the US Masters and British Open this season, was disappointed to settle for second best after last week's US PGA Tour Championship. "David got off to a wonderful start. I was four back and then he makes a couple of bogeys. On the 10th, I hit the best putt I hit all day and it doesn’t go in and David holes his. That's a big swing there," said Woods, who sparked Tiger-mania in Shanghai with his appearance in the HSBC Champions.

With holes running out, Woods, known for his amazing ability to stage great comebacks, tried to drive the par four 16th hole but found the hazard as his title hopes vanished. The American however treated the large galleries with a finishing birdie, easily hitting the par five green in two.

"I had to go for it and try to go for birdie or best part, eagle," explained Woods. "I went for it back there and then David puts the ball on the green on 17 and it was kind of over then. Even if I made birdie, eagle, he could have made two pars and it would have still been over."

Thaworn, the current Asian Tour Order of Merit leader, was the highest placed Asian finisher, earning a cheque of US$118,500 for his eighth place after a final round 73. The prize money earned this week however does not count towards the Order of Merit race.

"The pins were tucked in tough places and were hard to get to with my long irons. It didn't help either that my driving was erratic. I missed several fairways which cost me bogeys," said Thaworn, who played the final round with Danish star Thomas Bjorn and US Open champion Michael Campbell of New Zealand.

"I'm still pleased with my week's work here. It was good to compete with some of the world's top players. I was happy that I managed to maintain my performance all week," said Thaworn, whose good form caught the attention of Woods' Thai mother, Kultida, who praised him.

India's Arjun Atwal closed with a 68 for tied 12th place on 280 alongside Korea's Choi Kyung-ju, who signed off with a 70, and England's Lee Westwood. Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee was a further stroke back in equal 15th position while Chinese ace Zhang Lian-wei settled for 25th spot after a disappointing 75.

World number two Vijay Singh of Fiji and Bjorn were tied fifth after rounds of 69 and 70 respectively in the elite event jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia and Sunshine (Southern African) Tour.

Leading final round scores
268 - David Howell (ENG) 65-67-68-68
271 - Tiger Woods (USA) 65-69-67-70
274 - Nick Dougherty (ENG) 64-68-73-69, Nick O'Hern (AUS) 67-67-67-73
275 - Vijay Singh (FIJ) 67-69-70-69, Thomas Björn (DEN) 67-69-69-70
276 - Paul Casey (ENG) 67-68-73-68
277 - Jean-Francois Remesy (FRA) 70-67-70-70, Thaworn Wiratchant (THA) 67-68-69-73
278 - Michael Campbell (NZL) 66-70-69-73
279 - Paul Lawrie (SCO) 64-75-70-70
280 - Lee Westwood (ENG) 70-69-74-67, Arjun Atwal (IND) 69-70-73-68, K J Choi (KOR) 65-71-74-70
281 - Steve Webster (ENG) 72-70-71-68, Padraig Harrington (IRL) 69-72-72-68, Thongchai Jaidee (THA) 67-73-71-70, Peter O'Malley (AUS) 64-72-73-72
282 - John Bickerton (ENG) 68-72-72-70, Steven Bowditch (AUS) 71-69-71-71, Robert-Jan Derksen (NLD) 65-70-74-73, Peter Hanson (SWE) 69-70-70-73, Ian Poulter (ENG) 67-69-73-73, Paul Broadhurst (ENG) 76-69-69-68
283 - Niclas Fasth (SWE) 70-74-69-70, Thomas Aiken (RSA) 72-72-69-70, Prayad Marksaeng (THA) 70-70-75-68, Richard Sterne (RSA) 73-70-73-67, Raphaël Jacquelin (FRA) 74-71-67-71, Kenneth Ferrie (ENG) 66-69-74-74, Zhang Lian-wei (CHN) 67-68-73-75

November 13, 2005

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