Tiger's seventh heaven
Tiger's seventh heaven
Tiger Woods landed his seventh World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational title on Sunday as Robert Allenby held on to take a share of second place alongside Padraig Harrington, whose title bid met a watery end at Firestone Country Club.
Woods, who won by four shots, had decimated the three-shot third-round lead held by Harrington in the first four holes of the final round before the Irishman regained the advantage with five holes to play.
Disaster befell Harrington, though, as he zig-zagged his way down the 16th and then sent his fourth shot at the par-five from greenside rough into the pond guarding the front of the green.
A triple-bogey eight was the end result as Woods carded a birdie four on the way to a second consecutive 65 that sealed his 90th victory worldwide, his 70th PGA Tour win, his fifth title of the year and the second in as many weeks after landing last Sunday's Buick Open.
Woods also birdied the fourth and Harrington's three-shot lead had evaporated.
Woods' putter was as hot as the weather and another birdie on the fifth gave him the lead.
Harrington was not without his chances and at the eighth his 14ft birdie putt came up short by inches, but he handed the advantage to Woods at the ninth with his first significant error of the round.
Woods had hit his second shot to seven feet but Harrington, from the fairway, could only find a greenside bunker.
There was more bad news for Woods at the next when he found rough at the back of a greenside bunker with his approach and then pitched his third shot into the sand.
Both men parred the 15th but the tables dramatically turned back in Woods' favour at the par-five 16th.
The duo missed the fairway off the tee, Harrington to the right and Woods to the left.
The world No.1 laid up in the fairway but the Irishman found a mound of rough at the front edge of a fairway bunker and sent his next shot through the green.
By that time Woods had produced some magic from 182 yards, his eight-iron approach stopping a foot from the hole.
There was more woe for Harrington as his wedge out of the rough hopped onto the green and bounced into the water, leading to a triple-bogey eight.
Woods' birdie gave him a three-shot lead with two to play and he sealed the win in style with another birdie on the last.
