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Tiger reigns with a roar in WCG-American Express Championship
Woodstock, Oct 06: Tiger Woods wins American Express Championship. Tiger Woods picked up his fifth PGA Tour title of the season with a two-shot victory in the WGC-American Express Championship at the Capital City Club Crabapple Course on Sunday.
Woodstock, Oct 06: Tiger Woods wins American Express Championship. Tiger Woods picked up his fifth PGA Tour title of the season with a two-shot victory in the WGC-American Express Championship at the Capital City Club Crabapple Course on Sunday.
Woods, who carded a two-over-par 72 for his worst round of the tournament by three strokes, finished on six-under 274 to earn $1,050,000. Fiji's Vijay Singh, American Tim Herron and Australia's Stuart Appleby tied for second on 276. David Toms finished alone in fifth another stroke back, while Ireland's Padraig Harrington and South Korea's K.J. Choi shared sixth on 279. The world number one's 39th PGA Tour win was never in much doubt, but it had its moments. Starting the final round with a two-shot lead over Singh and a three-shot advantage over Herron, Woods came under pressure from the latter midway through the round when Herron birdied the ninth hole as the leader bogeyed. After Herron dropped a shot on the 10th, he got within one shot of the lead once more with a birdie on the par-five 12th.
However, a Woods birdie on the same hole and Herron's three-over-par performance over the last six holes gave the winner a comfortable cushion.
"For some reason, I hit the ball pretty good starting out and then I kind of lost it a little bit in the middle of the round," Woods said.
"I didn't really putt well today. I had the speed right, just didn't get the ball on the correct line."
Woods came into the final round with a record of 29 wins in 31 attempts when leading after 54 holes and Sunday's performance did nothing to tarnish that record.
"Today was just about being conservative," Woods said. "I didn't have to try and shoot a low number today. I knew that if I shot one (over), maybe two at the most, that would get the job done.
"As it turned out, after nine holes, I figured probably even par for the day would win, probably win by one, but it ended up by being more than that."
The victory was also significant for Woods in that he is now level with Gene Sarazen and Tom Watson in ninth place on the PGA Tour's all-time victory list.
He also won for the seventh time in 13 World Golf Championship individual events and won his fifth PGA Tour event in a season for the fifth time.
The victory also propelled Woods to the top of the tour's money earnings list. All of which now makes him a legitimate contender for Player of the Year honours and the money title.
"If Vijay would have won the tournament it would have been very difficult for me to win the money title as well as Player of the Year," Woods said. "Right now it still is kind of up for grabs because if Weirsie (Mike Weir), (Jim) Furyk or Vijay win the Tour Championship, they have a chance ... or even Davis (Love), so a lot of different things can happen at the last tournament."
Complete scores after Sunday's final round at the $6 million WGC-American Express Championship at Capital City Club's Crabapple Course (par 70, 7,189 yards, U.S. unless stated) 274 Tiger Woods 67 66 69 72 276 Stuart Appleby (Australia) 71 68 69 68, Tim Herron 66 72 67 71, Vijay Singh (Fiji) 70 70 64 72 277 David Toms 73 72 67 65 279 Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 71 73 69 66, K.J. Choi (South Korea) 67 71 68 73 281 Paul Casey (Britain) 73 71 66 71, Retief Goosen (South Africa) 73 69 67 72 282 Fred Couples 71 73 70 68, Ignacio Garrido (Spain) 68 71 69 74 283 Alex Cejka (Germany) 70 76 72 65, Ernie Els (South Africa) 71 74 71 67, Jim Furyk 70 74 69 70, Sergio Garcia (Spain) 65 73 70 75 284 Niclas Fasth (Sweden) 68 76 70 70, Loren Roberts 69 75 70 70, Rocco Mediate 66 72 73 73, Brad Faxon 75 71 66 72 285 Jonathan Kaye 73 69 73 70 286 Robert Allenby (Australia) 72 76 73 65, Steve Flesch 71 75 72 68, Charles Howell III 76 75 65 70, Jerry Kelly 70 72 69 75 287 Bob Estes 77 74 68 68, Toshi Izawa (Japan) 70 74 72 71, Eduardo Romero (Argentina) 72 74 68 73 288 David Howell (Britain) 74 75 71 68, Fredrik Jacobson (Sweden) 75 74 70 69, Justin Rose (Britain) 75 69 74 70, Chris Riley 74 73 70 71, Mike Weir (Canada) 69 73 72 74, Kenny Perry 70 74 70 74, Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) 74 73 67 74 289 Brian Davis (Britain) 71 77 68 73, Lee Westwood (Britain) 72 71 71 75 290 Peter Lonard (Australia) 75 74 70 71 291 Darren Clarke (Britain) 69 82 72 68, Phil Mickelson 72 77 70 71 292 Davis Love III 74 77 70 71, Alastair Forsyth (Britain) 71 77 71 73, Adam Scott (Australia) 70 73 75 74, Fred Funk 73 74 69 76 293 Trevor Immelman (South Africa) 70 77 71 75, Shaun Micheel 72 75 71 75, Ian Poulter (Britain) 73 74 68 78, Peter O'Malley (Australia) 69 74 70 80 294 Hennie Otto (South Africa) 76 73 73 72, Arjun Atwal (India) 76 72 72 74, Nick Price (Zimbabwe) 71 73 73 77 295 Taichi Teshima (Japan) 77 75 70 73, Colin Montgomerie (Britain) 74 75 70 76, Scott Verplank 75 75 68 77 296 Craig Parry (Australia) 76 72 75 73, Phillip Price (Britain) 70 79 72 75, Jay Haas 74 72 75 75, Jyoti Randhawa (India) 69 77 74 76, Len Mattiace 70 74 74 78 297 Raquel Jacquelin (France) 77 80 68 72, Rich Beem 76 75 73 73, Bob Tway 73 80 70 74, Chad Campbell 74 76 73 74, J.L. Lewis 72 74 77 74, Soren Kjeldsen (Denmark) 70 75 74 78 298 Kirk Triplett 74 72 70 82 299 Ben Curtis 76 76 72 75, Thongchai Jaidee (Thailand) 73 72 72 82 300 Michael Campbell (New Zealand) 82 76 75 67, Mark Foster 76 77 73 74 301 Scott Hoch 75 79 75 72, Chris DiMarco 76, 74, 76, 75 302 Todd Hamilton 78, 81, 72, 71
Bureau Report
Woods, who carded a two-over-par 72 for his worst round of the tournament by three strokes, finished on six-under 274 to earn $1,050,000. Fiji's Vijay Singh, American Tim Herron and Australia's Stuart Appleby tied for second on 276. David Toms finished alone in fifth another stroke back, while Ireland's Padraig Harrington and South Korea's K.J. Choi shared sixth on 279. The world number one's 39th PGA Tour win was never in much doubt, but it had its moments. Starting the final round with a two-shot lead over Singh and a three-shot advantage over Herron, Woods came under pressure from the latter midway through the round when Herron birdied the ninth hole as the leader bogeyed. After Herron dropped a shot on the 10th, he got within one shot of the lead once more with a birdie on the par-five 12th.
However, a Woods birdie on the same hole and Herron's three-over-par performance over the last six holes gave the winner a comfortable cushion.
"For some reason, I hit the ball pretty good starting out and then I kind of lost it a little bit in the middle of the round," Woods said.
"I didn't really putt well today. I had the speed right, just didn't get the ball on the correct line."
Woods came into the final round with a record of 29 wins in 31 attempts when leading after 54 holes and Sunday's performance did nothing to tarnish that record.
"Today was just about being conservative," Woods said. "I didn't have to try and shoot a low number today. I knew that if I shot one (over), maybe two at the most, that would get the job done.
"As it turned out, after nine holes, I figured probably even par for the day would win, probably win by one, but it ended up by being more than that."
The victory was also significant for Woods in that he is now level with Gene Sarazen and Tom Watson in ninth place on the PGA Tour's all-time victory list.
He also won for the seventh time in 13 World Golf Championship individual events and won his fifth PGA Tour event in a season for the fifth time.
The victory also propelled Woods to the top of the tour's money earnings list. All of which now makes him a legitimate contender for Player of the Year honours and the money title.
"If Vijay would have won the tournament it would have been very difficult for me to win the money title as well as Player of the Year," Woods said. "Right now it still is kind of up for grabs because if Weirsie (Mike Weir), (Jim) Furyk or Vijay win the Tour Championship, they have a chance ... or even Davis (Love), so a lot of different things can happen at the last tournament."
Complete scores after Sunday's final round at the $6 million WGC-American Express Championship at Capital City Club's Crabapple Course (par 70, 7,189 yards, U.S. unless stated) 274 Tiger Woods 67 66 69 72 276 Stuart Appleby (Australia) 71 68 69 68, Tim Herron 66 72 67 71, Vijay Singh (Fiji) 70 70 64 72 277 David Toms 73 72 67 65 279 Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 71 73 69 66, K.J. Choi (South Korea) 67 71 68 73 281 Paul Casey (Britain) 73 71 66 71, Retief Goosen (South Africa) 73 69 67 72 282 Fred Couples 71 73 70 68, Ignacio Garrido (Spain) 68 71 69 74 283 Alex Cejka (Germany) 70 76 72 65, Ernie Els (South Africa) 71 74 71 67, Jim Furyk 70 74 69 70, Sergio Garcia (Spain) 65 73 70 75 284 Niclas Fasth (Sweden) 68 76 70 70, Loren Roberts 69 75 70 70, Rocco Mediate 66 72 73 73, Brad Faxon 75 71 66 72 285 Jonathan Kaye 73 69 73 70 286 Robert Allenby (Australia) 72 76 73 65, Steve Flesch 71 75 72 68, Charles Howell III 76 75 65 70, Jerry Kelly 70 72 69 75 287 Bob Estes 77 74 68 68, Toshi Izawa (Japan) 70 74 72 71, Eduardo Romero (Argentina) 72 74 68 73 288 David Howell (Britain) 74 75 71 68, Fredrik Jacobson (Sweden) 75 74 70 69, Justin Rose (Britain) 75 69 74 70, Chris Riley 74 73 70 71, Mike Weir (Canada) 69 73 72 74, Kenny Perry 70 74 70 74, Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) 74 73 67 74 289 Brian Davis (Britain) 71 77 68 73, Lee Westwood (Britain) 72 71 71 75 290 Peter Lonard (Australia) 75 74 70 71 291 Darren Clarke (Britain) 69 82 72 68, Phil Mickelson 72 77 70 71 292 Davis Love III 74 77 70 71, Alastair Forsyth (Britain) 71 77 71 73, Adam Scott (Australia) 70 73 75 74, Fred Funk 73 74 69 76 293 Trevor Immelman (South Africa) 70 77 71 75, Shaun Micheel 72 75 71 75, Ian Poulter (Britain) 73 74 68 78, Peter O'Malley (Australia) 69 74 70 80 294 Hennie Otto (South Africa) 76 73 73 72, Arjun Atwal (India) 76 72 72 74, Nick Price (Zimbabwe) 71 73 73 77 295 Taichi Teshima (Japan) 77 75 70 73, Colin Montgomerie (Britain) 74 75 70 76, Scott Verplank 75 75 68 77 296 Craig Parry (Australia) 76 72 75 73, Phillip Price (Britain) 70 79 72 75, Jay Haas 74 72 75 75, Jyoti Randhawa (India) 69 77 74 76, Len Mattiace 70 74 74 78 297 Raquel Jacquelin (France) 77 80 68 72, Rich Beem 76 75 73 73, Bob Tway 73 80 70 74, Chad Campbell 74 76 73 74, J.L. Lewis 72 74 77 74, Soren Kjeldsen (Denmark) 70 75 74 78 298 Kirk Triplett 74 72 70 82 299 Ben Curtis 76 76 72 75, Thongchai Jaidee (Thailand) 73 72 72 82 300 Michael Campbell (New Zealand) 82 76 75 67, Mark Foster 76 77 73 74 301 Scott Hoch 75 79 75 72, Chris DiMarco 76, 74, 76, 75 302 Todd Hamilton 78, 81, 72, 71
Bureau Report