When Tiger Woods was growing up in California, he used to take golf balls and throw them into the trees just so he could work on his short game.

It's taken more than a decade, but that practice finally paid off today.

Woods extricated himself from a series of trouble spots with par saves -- including a memorable chip-in at the 14th hole -- to hold off Vijay Singh and win the Memorial Tournament by two strokes.

"The short-game shots, I've always loved hitting them. I've always loved chipping and scrambling," Woods said after a 3-under 69 left him at 15-under 273 at Muirfield Village Golf Club. "I was so wild when I was younger, I had to hit those shots."

This wasn't the Woods of the 1997 Masters, lapping the field while piling up a succession of birdies as the rest of the world's best players shook their heads in disbelief.

Instead, Woods -- who said he is playing at his peak at the age of 23 -- had an imperfect round that was salvaged by patience and timely shotmaking.

His second PGA Tour victory of the year was worth $459,000. It was his second win in as many tournaments as he won a European Tour event, Deutsche Bank SAP Open, last month in Germany. It marked the seventh time in his PGA pro career he carried the lead into the final day -- and the sixth time he still had it at the finish.

Starting the day with a two-stroke lead over Singh and a five-shot margin on David Duval, Woods saved par on each of the first two holes from off the green. It was to be a trend.

At the par-5 fifth hole, he lobbed a short wedge from shoe-covering rough to 2 feet for a birdie to match Singh and maintain his lead.

On the next hole, Woods flew the green and was confronted with a 100-foot chip from long and matted grass while Singh pondered a 20-footer for birdie. But Woods opened the face of his wedge and softly dropped the ball once in the rough where it rolled downhilll within 2 feet for an easy par putt.

"Underneath the grass was hardpan and the ball was not sitting up that much," Woods said. "I gave it the old full swing."

Singh finally cut the lead in half at the par-5 11th, two-putting from 20 feet to get to 13-under, then caught a break when his iron to the par-3 12th soared over the green and slammed into a bank, rolling back within 6 feet of the cup.

But Woods, 15 feet above the hole, dropped his birdie putt and denied Singh the chance to pull even when he also birdied.

"I'm very disappointed finishing second," Singh said. "I thought I was going to win. I played better golf than Tiger did today and he won. He scored when he needed to."

That set the stage for 14, where Woods again flew the green and ended up with a nasty downhill lie from 15 yards off the green. He barely advanced the ball on his next shot, moving it 6 feet closer to the hole.

Seconds after tournament host Jack Nicklaus, speaking on the national telecast, said Woods would be fortunate to make a bogey 5, Woods slid his wedge under the ball and watched as it rolled 20 feet across the green and nudged the pin before nestling into the cup for par.

"As it was rolling down there I said to myself, 'Hmm, that has potential,' " Woods said with a smile.

Woods characteristically pumped his fist again and again, playing to the large, roaring gallery lining the ropes.

"I didn't really think when he did miss the green that he was going to make a bogey," Singh said. "He has a great short game. He's got a lot of skill and courage to do what he does. And he's a hell of a putter."

Singh, who won the Memorial two years ago, was having his own problems, finding trouble off the tee then hitting into a greenside bunker before settling for a bogey. Woods was again ahead by two shots.

Singh, who also shot a 69 to get to 13-under 275, never threatened again.

Woods and Duval -- the world's No. 2 and No. 1 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, respectively -- sat together and rested during a backup at the 15th tee.

Singh sank a short birdie putt on the par-5, but seconds later Woods -- who had hit onto the green in two -- also made his short putt for birdie.

Woods did it again at 16, knocking his 7-iron into the back trap as Singh hit safely to the middle of the green. But Woods blasted out to 6 inches and tapped in for his par to again match Singh.

Duval had positioned himself to challenge Woods when he rolled in an eagle putt from the back fringe at No. 7 to get within four strokes with 10 holes left. But any thoughts of a showdown between Duval and Woods melted when Duval could do no better than pars on the next seven holes before bogeying 15, traditionally the easiest hole on the course.

"I was right where I wanted to be through eight holes," said Duval, who trailed by four shots at that point. "I had a good look at No. 9, a good look at No. 10. But they weren't as close as I would have liked. Those might have made a difference."

Duval ended up sharing third place at 9-under with Olin Browne, who shot a 65 for the day's low round, and Paraguay's Carlos Franco. Franco had a double eagle on No. 7 in the second round.

AP