Woods beats Els after playoff

Even by Maui's standards, Tiger Woods is riding an incredible wave. And there's no indication he's about to get knocked off.

Pushed into a heart-stopping playoff by two-time U.S. Open champion Ernie Els, Woods kept alive golf's longest winning streak in 46 years, sinking a 40-foot birdie putt on the second sudden-death hole today to win the Mercedes Championships.

It was his fifth consecutive victory, the most since Ben Hogan won five straight tournaments in 1953, and inched Woods a little closer to the record once thought untouchable -- 11 straight by Byron Nelson in 1945. (See list of PGA Tour Consecutive Victory Leaders.)

"It feels a lot better when you can beat the best players," Woods said. "Fortunately, I got him this time."

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With a spectacular finish to the first tournament of the year, Woods and Els matched eagles on the 18th hole to force the playoff, and Woods made a 6-foot birdie putt on the same hole 20 minutes later to keep the playoff going.

He ended it with his 40-footer on the par-4 first hole, stepping off to the side as it got closer and unleashing a fist pump as it fell. Els tried to keep the thriller alive, but his 35-footer stopped about a foot short of the hole.

"I think he's a legend in the making," Els said. "You guys (the media) have helped, but he's backed it up with his golf game. He's 24. He's probably going to be bigger than Elvis when he gets into his 40s."

Along with $522,000 -- enough to move him to No. 3 on career money list after fewer than four full seasons on the PGA Tour -- Woods won a Mercedes SL500 Sport that sells for $88,000 and a blazer made of cashmere and silk valued at $3,300.

He also sent a scary message to the rest of the PGA Tour. It will likely take a superhuman effort to beat him.

"We were both out there grinding our butts off," Woods said. "To make a putt like this, that's all you can ask for."

Els outplayed Woods from tee to green, but missed two short putts on the back nine that might have sealed the victory before it reached the 18th hole.

"At least I pushed him to extra time," said the South African known as the "Big Easy."

Woods gave Els new hope when he missed the green on No. 17 and lipped out a par putt. What had been a great display of golf only soared to another level.

"When you're in competition that close, you don't realize what you're doing," Woods said. "You're just trying to hit this shot, right here, right now."

That's what they did. Both players bombed their drives on the 663-yard closing hole, Els a few yards longer. Woods hit first, a 3-wood that hit softly on the right side of the green and caught the slope, rolling closer to the hole until it stopped 8 feet away.

As he had done all day, Els was up to the challenge. His 2-iron hit short, bounded onto the green and stopped 6 feet away. Both gave each other a thumbs-up and a smile as they walked to the green.

Woods again put on the heat by making his eagle putt, worthy of a trademark pump of the fist. The Big Easy didn't blink, and rolled his eagle putt on top of Woods to force a playoff.

Els again hit the 18th green in the playoff with a 3-wood from 323 yards, while Woods's approach stayed right of the green. His 60-foot effort came up 6 feet below the hole, and Els thought he had it won until his 30-foot eagle putt veered off to the right at the last turn.

Woods made his birdie, then clinched the 16th victory of his young career on the next hole with a putt that surprised everyone but Woods.

"If you believe in something so hard ... it will go in," he said.

Believe it.

Dating to the NEC Invitational in August, Woods is the first player to win five straight PGA Tour events since 1948, the year Hogan went on to win six straight.

The tour does not recognize Hogan's streak in 1953 because it didn't count the British Open as official until 1995.

The list of Woods's victims is impressive -- Phil Mickelson in the NEC, Els at Disney, Davis Love III in the Tour Championship, hometown favorite Miguel Angel Jimenez in Spain, and Els again in Hawaii.

Woods and Els both finished with a 68 for 16-under 276. Defending champion David Duval had a 68 and was four strokes behind.

Woods now has won eight out of his last 11 PGA Tour events, an astounding display of dominance. It also was the 16th consecutive time he has won worldwide when he has had at least a share of the lead after 54 holes (the13th straight time in PGA Tour events, starting with the 1997 Mercedes Championships). The only time in his pro career he has failed to win when leading after 54 holes was at the 1996 Quad City Classic -- only his third start at a pro -- when he shot 72 to finish tied for fifth, four strokes behind winner Ed Fiori.

Mike Weir made five straight birdies on the back nine and had a 67 to finish fourth at 285, along with Jim Furyk.

That Woods and Els were the only players to break par all four rounds was a testament to their play this week, considering the trade winds out of the northeast were strong all four days. The winds were tolerable today, and 18 players broke par. Carlos Franco had the best round, a bogey-free 67 that left him at 287 with Jesper Parnevik.

But everything gave way to a thrilling duel between Woods and Els, staged on the hilly terrain above the Pacific Ocean as humpback whales frolicked below.

Tied at 11-under to start the final round, Els drew first blood with a 5-iron on the 218-yard second hole that stopped 3 feet by the hole for a birdie. Woods stayed in the game with two crucial 6-footers, one to save par on No. 2 and another on the par-5 fifth for birdie after his approach found the bunker.

Woods pulled even with a 12-foot birdie on No. 6, but then he three-putted from 30 feet on the next hole to slip one back. Both missed birdie chances on No. 8, and both closed out the front nine with birdies.

Els said it would come down to the back nine today, and he could have easily backed down from the head-to-head challenge against the No. 1 player in the world. The South African made only his second score worst than par all week -- a bogey on No. 10, and saw Woods take a one-stroke lead by making a 5-foot birdie putt.

But Els answered, hitting the flagstick with his his tee shot on the par-3 11th and making the 2-footer to pull into a tie.

He also made a nice par save two holes later, but wasted a chance to take the lead when he missed a 4-foot birdie putt on No. 14, and missed another chance with a 6-foot birdie that lipped out on No. 16.

Woods is not interested in The Streak. By his account, it ended with his four straight to end the 1999 season in Valderrama -- also won in a playoff against Jimenez.

But it will follow him until he loses. The next stop is likely four weeks away in Pebble Beach, when he starts his West Coast swing that eventually will take him to The Masters.

Even in loss, Els proved something to himself. He had said on Thursday that he wasn't even in the same ballpark with Woods. But he outplayed Woods in the third round to pull into a tie, and went blow-for-blow with under the pressure of the final round.

Still, Woods figures to be around to meet any challenge every week. Not only is he 8-of-11 on the PGA Tour since June -- a statistic more suitable to free throws than golf -- he has finished worse than seventh just once in his last 12 PGA Tour events. He has been out of the top 10 just once in his last 17 tournaments overall (a tie for 37th at the Sprint International in August), including two European Tour events (the Deutsche Bank SAP Open and Johnnie Walker Classic) and three unofficial money events (the World Cup of Golf, PGA Grand Slam, and Williams World Challenge). He has won 11 of those 17 tournaments.