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Rediff.com  » Sports » Woods caps season with 11th title

Woods caps season with 11th title

By Mark Lamport-Stokes
December 18, 2006 15:01 IST
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Tiger Woods signed off a remarkable 2006 campaign in triumphant style on Sunday, winning his 11th title of the year with a four-shot victory at the Target World Challenge.

The world number one and tournament host, a stroke off the pace at the start of a sun-kissed day at Sherwood Country Club, fired a six-under-par 66 to finish on 16-under 272.

Woods charged past overnight leader Geoff Ogilvy of Australia with five birdies over the front nine before sealing his third title here with two birdies in the last three holes.

US Open champion Ogilvy returned a 71 to finish alone in second place with American Chris DiMarco a further stroke back in third, also after a 71.

"Once you get the lead out here, the guys behind get aggressive and make mistakes," a beaming Woods told reporters after holing a 10-foot birdie putt at the last.

"I tried to do the best I could. I made that bogey on 15, an unforced error there, but got it back on 16.

"It's been a year of two halves really," the 12-times major winner added, referring to the death of his beloved father Earl on May 3 after a long battle with cancer.

"On the golf course, it's been something to have things come together, especially to win two majors this year."

Woods's haul of eight PGA Tour wins this season included major victories at the British Open and PGA Championship.

Since the US Open at Winged Foot in June, when he missed the cut for the first time in a major as a professional, he has not finished worse than second in his last 11 strokeplay events, eight times winning the title.

FAST START

Woods, whose previous successes here came in 2001 and 2004, got off to a fast start for the fourth day in a row.

In crisp, calm conditions, he narrowly missed holing a 10-foot eagle putt at the par-five second and chipped in from just off the green to birdie the par-three third.

Although he briefly stumbled with a bogey at the par-four fourth, where he found a bunker with his approach, he picked up his third shot of the day at the par-five fifth.

Further birdies followed at the seventh and ninth as he stretched his lead to three.

With his approach play and putting touch in sparkling order, Woods also birdied 10, 16 and 18 and could afford a second bogey of the day at the par-three 15th, where he missed the green off the tee, before clinching his 74th professional career title.

Ogilvy, one stroke clear at the start of the day after firing a best-of-the-day 67 in the third round, failed to maintain his momentum over the front nine.

He bogeyed the par-five second, after his second shot struck a tree and bounced back into a bunker, and also the ninth after missing the green with his approach.

The Australian's only birdie over the opening stretch came at the par-four sixth where he holed out from six feet.

Ogilvy rattled up three more birdies and one bogey after the turn to secure outright second place at 12 under.

Britain's Luke Donald, champion at Sherwood Country Club last year after closing with a 64, finished 12th in the elite 16-man field at five over after carding a 71.

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Mark Lamport-Stokes
Source: REUTERS
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