Tiger Woods, ice-cool throughout the final round, cruised to his 12th career major with a five-shot victory in the 88th PGA Championship at Medinah Country Club on Sunday.
Tied for the overnight lead with playing partner Luke Donald of Britain, the world number one fired a four-under-par 68 in low-scoring conditions to lift the Wanamaker Trophy for the third time.
Woods, who also won the year’s final major in 1999 and 2000, rattled up five birdies and a solitary bogey at the par-three 17th in bright afternoon sunshine before finishing at 18-under-par 270.
After his final putt dropped he gave a double fist pump to celebrate moving past fellow American Walter Hagen into outright second place in the all-time major standings with only Jack Nicklaus, on 18, ahead of him.
His 72-hole aggregate matched the lowest in the tournament’s history, tying the 18-under total of 270 set jointly by Woods and fellow American Bob May at Valhalla in 2000.
”This is sweet, this is really sweet,” a smiling Woods told reporters after delivering an inspired display with his putter. ”I didn’t exactly feel as comfortable as I may have looked.
”I was hitting all right but I felt if I could hit the ball anywhere on the green, I could make anything today. I made some bombs out there, probably putts you shouldn’t make but that fell in.
”Starting out the day, it could have gone any which way. As soft as the golf course was playing, you knew you had to make a bunch of birdies and I was able to do that for a while.”
Donald, bidding to become the PGA Championship’s first European-born winner in 76 years, had to settle for a share of third place at 12 under after a frustrating day and a closing 74.
Zero reward
”I felt like I played okay but got zero out of my game today,” the 28-year-old said. ”I felt like I played better than my score.
”But it was a good learning experience and a great week for me, just too many putts missing the hole today.”
Level with Donald were Australia’s Adam Scott, who fired a seven-birdie 67, and Spaniard Sergio Garcia, after a 70.
American Shaun Micheel, winner of the 2003 PGA Championship at Oak Hill, secured second place at 13 under, despite bogeying the last for a 69.
Woods, who won last month’s British Open at Hoylake, has a perfect record of 12 victories after leading or holding a share of the lead going into the final round of a major championship.
Any speculation the game’s leading player might be reeled in on the final day at Medinah effectively ended when he immediately broke clear by rolling in a 10-foot birdie putt at the par-four first.
He picked up his second shot after reaching the green in two at the 537-yard fifth, coolly sank a 35-footer at the par-four sixth and holed a downhill 30-footer to birdie the par-three eighth.
After reaching the turn four strokes ahead of the chasing pack at 18 under, Woods picked up his fifth shot of the day at the par-four 11th after hitting a brilliant approach shot from the right rough to within 10 feet of the flag.
Oozing confidence on another day of low-scoring, he dropped his only shot of the round after finding thick rough behind the green at the 197-yard 17th.
After missing a downhill 10-footer to save par, he split the fairway at the last, safely reached the green with his second shot and savoured warm-hearted applause from the packed galleries before two-putting for a 68. – Reuters