Tiger
Woods's victories are starting to come in all shapes and sizes -- majors and World
Golf Championship events, in Europe and in America, even one like today that came
with Mickey Mouse on the trophy.
The troubling trend for everyone else is that Woods keeps winning, and no one
is quite sure when -- or if -- he is ever going to stop.
Not even Woods.
"I'm
not going to put any limits on where I think I can go," Woods said after winning
for the sixth time in his last nine tournaments, a one-stroke victory over Ernie
Els in the National Car Rental Classic at Disney World.
Woods's final round on a Magnolia course that lies just beyond the Magic Kingdom
was hardly a masterpiece, but the finished product was a carbon copy of his recent
play -- another victory for the No. 1 player in the world in what already has
become a masterpiece of a year.
"Nobody
can touch this guy at the moment," Els said. "He has gone to another level where
I don't think the rest of us can really find. The guy is great right now."
Despite missing five putts
from 10 feet or less and three-putting on three occasions, Woods avoided the kind
of mistakes that doomed Els and Bob Tway, closing with a 1-over-par 73 to finish
at 271.
Els hit
into the water trying to lay up on No. 14, and had a 35-foot birdie putt roll
off the green on No. 17 that led to a bogey. He wound up with a 71.
Tway was tied with Woods to start the final round and led by two strokes at the
turn, but fell out of contention by hitting into the water on the par-3 12th and
taking a triple bogey. Tway had a 76 and tied for third with Franklin Langham
(72) at 14-under 274.
"A
couple of years ago when he won the Nelson and said he won it with his 'C' game
... I guess he wasn't kidding," Els said.
Woods didn't have his "A" game today, but lightning-fast greens and holes cut
on the slopes made it difficult on everyone. Only 24 players managed to break
par.
Woods has not
broken 70 in the final round of his last four victories, but he's been good enough.
It was the 10th straight time Woods has had at least a share of the lead through
54 holes and gone on to win.
"I
take pride in playing well," Woods said. "It's hard to get complacent when you
love what you do."
Woods earned $450,000, pushing his earnings to just over $4.7 million. The real
measure of greatness is the number of victories. Even Woods admits this will go
down as a great year.
The Disney victory was his sixth on the PGA Tour this year, the most since Tom
Watson won six times in 1980, when Woods was a 4 years old.
At age 23, he is the youngest player to win this often -- seven, including his
victory against a strong field in Germany -- since Horton Smith won eight times
in 1929 at age 21.
And Woods isn't done yet.
Having won six of his last nine tournaments, Woods will be the favourite in the
Tour Championship next week in Houston, and again in the final World Golf Championship
event in Spain to close out the year.
Winning both those tournaments -- anything is possible right now -- would push
him over $6 million in earnings for the year, an astounding number even with inflated
purses.
Tway had
to win Disney to get into the Tour Championship next week for the top 30 on the
money list. As it was, there were no changes to the top 30. Duffy Waldorf, holding
down the final spot, tied for 69th but no one else was able to make a move.
Even after making his first
bogey in 43 holes on No. 2, and making another bogey on No. 4 by duffing a wedge
from the fairway to fall two strokes back, Tway appeared to have control of the
tournament.
It only
only took two holes for that lead to evaporate. Tway missed a 4-foot birdie putt
on No. 10, and Woods caught him with a 10-foot birdie on 10 and a 3-footer on
11. Then, Tway took himself out of contention by hitting his tee shot on the 12th
into the water, his third shot into the bunker and walking off with a triple bogey.
Birdies on three of the
first four holes on the back side put Els into a tie with Woods at 18-under, but
then he went to sleep on the par-5 14th, hitting a 5-iron lay up into the water
and taking a bogey.
"I
probably hit my worst shot of the year," Els said. "That took a lot out of me."
The tournament was effectively
decided on No. 17, which can be chalked up to Els's inexperience at Disney. He
left his approach on the ridge, and with the greens considerably faster than the
first three days, the cup was all that could stop his ball from going off the
green.
"I was done,"
Els said. "I was done when I was lining up my putt."
Woods, meanwhile, left his approach on 17 below the hole and two-putted from 10
feet for par, giving him a one-stroke cushion.
Woods also won Disney three years ago, during his rapid rise that turned out to
be a glimpse of what the future held. That year, kids stuck their heads through
the netting under the grandstand to take a peek at the new star.
Today, Woods holding up another trophy was old hat.
DIVOTS:
Woods had seven three-putts for the week and was only 2-under on the par-5s in
three rounds at Magnolia. ... Tournament officials wanted to have the Tigger character
at the trophy presentation if Tiger Woods had won, but was turned down. One reason?
Woods got his nickname from a Vietnam War veteran, not a furry friend of Winnie
the Pooh. Also, because Tigger is not a Disney creation, there were some legal
concerns about the bouncy one being used in a promotion outside the Magic Kingdom.
... Lanny Wadkins, in his final PGA Tour event before he comes eligible for the
Senior PGA Tour, had a 75 and tied for 81st at 288.
