Firestone specialist Tiger Woods won his fourth consecutive PGA Tour title with a protracted playoff victory over fellow American Stewart Cink at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational on Sunday.
As late afternoon rain swept across the course, the world number one triumphed by sinking an eight-foot birdie putt at the fourth extra hole where 2004 champion Cink found the front greenside bunker with his approach.
Woods had a chance of sealing the win on the previous hole but left a par putt from a similar distance an inch short. Cink ran his own par attempt there a couple of feet past the cup.
The pair had finished the 72 regulation holes on 10-under-par 270, Woods carding a two-under 68 and 2004 champion Cink closing with a 69.
”I was very lucky to even be in a playoff,” Woods told reporters after clinching his fifth victory at Firestone Country Club in seven starts and the 52nd PGA Tour title of his career.
”I wasn’t swinging the club very consistently today at all. I got hot on the back nine, made some nice putts and messed up on 16. But it’s always nice to walk away with a W [win], however you do it.
”Wins like this show what you have inside because you don’t really have it physically,” added the 12-times major winner, who threw the tournament wide open with an unexpected four-bogey run in Saturday’s third round.
”But I’ve done it before and I’ve been successful, so I’ve kept drawing upon my experiences in the past and just trying to hang in there somehow.”
Woods has claimed 11 individual WGC titles in 21 starts and his winning streak over the last six weeks includes last month’s British Open and the PGA Championship seven days ago.
He now lies joint fifth with Byron Nelson (52) in the all-time standings for PGA Tour victories with only Arnold Palmer (62), Ben Hogan (64), Jack Nicklaus (73) and Sam Snead (82) ahead.
Fluctuating final round
Jim Furyk, who twice held a share of the lead in a wildly fluctuating final round at Firestone, signed off with a 68 to finish alone in third place at nine under.
Woods, who covered the front nine in level-par 35, appeared to have the title firmly in his grasp after reeling off three birdies in four holes from the 10th.
After hitting a superb approach on 10, he rolled in a 35-footer at the par-three 12th and sank a 22-footer at the par-four 13th to break two strokes clear of the chasing pack.
However, he faltered with a three-putt bogey at the monster 667-yard 16th before being joined at 10 under by Cink, who birdied 16 and also 17, where he rammed in a 22-footer.
Both players parred the last to take the tournament into extra time, where the first three holes were shared with two pars followed by a bogey.
Cink, who has not won on the PGA Tour since his Firestone victory in 2004, was satisfied with his last-day performance.
”I’m pretty proud of the way I played,” the 33-year-old American said. ”I felt like I had my chances.
”There were highs and lows out there all day. Unfortunately, I finished on a low but there were a lot of good things too.”
Heavy rain delayed the final round by 90 minutes after the scheduled start had already been brought forward by four hours because of a poor weather forecast. – Reuters