Woods back in groove after Turnberry trauma
Tiger wins what could be the last Buick
Open - his 69th US Tour victory
Tiger Woods has bounced back from his Turnberry trauma to win the Buick Open for a third time. It is his 69th US PGA Tour victory.
Woods signed off with a three-under-par 69 and coasted to a three-shot victory with a 20-under 268 total at Warwick Hills, Grand Blanc, Michigan.
"I've played all around the world, and I've never seen a day like this," said Woods, also the 2002 and 2006 winner at Warwick Hills. "This event has always been special, but today was something else."
He acknowledged thinking about his walk up 18 at Warwick Hills being his last, leading to him throwing his ball with a lot of velocity back down the fairway to fans. He also tossed a ball into the gallery at 17.
"I never do that, but today was different," Woods said. "We aren't coming back here, and I wanted to thank all these people."
GolfWeek reported on its website that General Motors would end the PGA Tour's longest partnership. GolfWeek also reported The Greenbrier in West Virginia is waiting for the PGA Tour to confirm it will replace the Buick Open in 2010.
Early and often at Warwick Hills, from the pro-am when he played with rocker Bob Seger through Sunday, Woods was thanked by fans who appreciated his appearance.
"I've never played in front of fans like this," Woods said.
And, they haven't seen a player quite like Woods.
He improved to 36-1 when he has the outright lead after 54 holes. Woods has four wins this season -- twice as many as anyone else on the US PGA Tour -- in just 11 starts since returning from knee surgery.
Roland Thatcher (64), Greg Chalmers (68) and John Senden (70) tied for second.
"I might go take a picture of the scoreboard since I'm tied with Tiger, but I'm not going to worry about getting ready for a playoff," Thatcher said when he ended his round soon after Woods was starting his. "I'm sure he's going to make my day a moot point."
Woods broke the tie with Thatcher with a 21-footer at No. 4, then two-putted from 43 feet to birdie the par-5 seventh. After saving par from the trees on 10 and water on 13, he picked up his final birdie with a two-putt on the par-5 16th.
He moved into first place in the FedExCup standings and padded his lead on the money list with another $918,000 after tying Vijay Singh's record of three Buick Open titles.
With the 69 wins, he trails just Jack Nicklaus (73) and Sam Snead (82).
Woods reached victory No. 69 at the age 33 years, 7 seven months -- almost seven years quicker than Nicklaus and eight years sooner than Snead.
Woods, playing for the first time since missing the cut at the British Open, got off to a brutal start at the Buick Open.
He shot a 71 in the first round and said it was probably the worst putting performance of his career, leading to him skipping his post-round practice session because he was so mad.
It only added to his legacy because he went from a tie for 95th to a victory, the largest jump he's made from the first round in a tournament he ended up winning.
Woods roared back into contention with the best five-hole start of his career -- beginning 6 under in the second round -- en route to a 9-under 63 for his best score in relation to par in four years.
He hit the ball relatively poor in the third round, but made enough clutch shots to finish with a 65 and take a one-shot lead into Sunday.
The three-shot victory was his most lopsided since winning the 2008 Buick Invitational by eight.
He took advantage of the easy course and weak field as expected. The six players who finished within five shots of Woods have a combined four titles.
"He's just laughing at all of us," Letzig said. "I wish he'd stop coming to the tournaments I'm coming to. Seriously, though, I love it."
Woods, whose previous three wins this year were each by one shot, spent much of Sunday with a two-shot cushion before he took a three-stroke lead with the birdie at No. 16.
His businesslike final round included three birdies and no bogeys and won without trailing in the final round for the first time since Bay Hill in 2008.
Competition and courses are about to get much tougher.
Woods will play at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational next before going to Hazeltine for the PGA Championship, his final chance to win a major this year.
He is set to compete in two straight tournaments going into a major for the first time in his career.
"I feel good," Woods said. "The win helps."
FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
268 Tiger Woods 71 63 65 69
271 John Senden (Aus) 64 66 71 70, Roland Thatcher 70 64 73 64, Greg Chalmers (Aus) 66 68 69 68
272 Y.E. Yang (Kor) 65 69 71 67
273 Michael Letzig 67 65 68 73, Ben Crane 68 71 65 69
274 John Rollins 68 71 67 68, Brian Vranesh 65 75 67 67, Vaughn Taylor 65 68 69 72, Jimmy Walker 70 64 69 71, Woody Austin 68 71 65 70, Bob Heintz 70 68 66 70
275 Charles Warren 70 65 68 72, Justin Leonard 72 67 69 67, J.P. Hayes 68 71 67 69, Troy Matteson 66 69 72 68
276 Bill Lunde 68 65 71 72, Bill Haas 68 68 69 71, Tim Herron 67 70 70 69, Paul Goydos 66 70 71 69, Billy Mayfair 68 68 69 71, Neal Lancaster 67 70 70 69, Matthew Jones (Aus) 68 68 71 69
277 Chad Campbell 68 71 68 70, Jim Furyk 69 69 69 70, Tim Petrovic 69 67 70 71
278 Scott Piercy 70 70 64 74, James Nitties (Aus) 65 70 71 72, Jason Day (Aus) 74 66 68 70, Bob Estes 70 70 71 67, Nathan Green (Aus) 69 70 71 68, Kevin Stadler 67 67 72 72, Jonathan Byrd 69 71 70 68, Jason Bohn 68 70 72 68, Jason Gore 70 69 71 68
279 Kris Blanks 69 68 72 70, Brian Gay 71 69 67 72, Jeff Quinney 69 67 75 68, Mark Hensby (Aus) 68 72 68 71, Greg Owen (Eng) 68 69 70 72, Heath Slocum 70 70 70 69, Jeff Klauk 66 70 69 74, Leif Olson 68 67 71 73, Marc Leishman (Aus) 67 69 68 75
280 Nick Watney 69 69 70 72, Kevin Na 69 69 70 72, Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 67 69 70 74, Tom Byrum 67 73 70 70, Brett Quigley 71 69 66 74, Matt Bettencourt 70 67 65 78
281 Jonathan Kaye 70 67 73 71, Mark Calcavecchia 69 69 73 70, Mark Brooks 69 66 71 75, Tom Pernice Jnr. 67 69 71 74, Matt Harmon 68 68 70 75
282 Charlie Wi (Kor) 68 70 70 74, Kent Jones 70 69 72 71, Chris Stroud 67 71 71 73, Craig Barlow 70 69 73 70, Corey Pavin 66 73 71 72, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 69 67 74 72
283 Guy Boros 70 70 73 70, Darron Stiles 68 71 72 72, Steve Lowery 63 75 73 72, David Duval 69 71 67 76, Rocco Mediate 68 69 79 67
284 Michael Bradley 70 65 76 73, Spencer Levin 70 70 72 72, Aron Price (Aus) 69 68 74 73
285 Carlos Franco (Par) 71 69 75 70
288 Patrick Sheehan 69 71 74 74
Open - his 69th US Tour victory
Tiger Woods has bounced back from his Turnberry trauma to win the Buick Open for a third time. It is his 69th US PGA Tour victory.
Woods signed off with a three-under-par 69 and coasted to a three-shot victory with a 20-under 268 total at Warwick Hills, Grand Blanc, Michigan.
"I've played all around the world, and I've never seen a day like this," said Woods, also the 2002 and 2006 winner at Warwick Hills. "This event has always been special, but today was something else."
He acknowledged thinking about his walk up 18 at Warwick Hills being his last, leading to him throwing his ball with a lot of velocity back down the fairway to fans. He also tossed a ball into the gallery at 17.
"I never do that, but today was different," Woods said. "We aren't coming back here, and I wanted to thank all these people."
GolfWeek reported on its website that General Motors would end the PGA Tour's longest partnership. GolfWeek also reported The Greenbrier in West Virginia is waiting for the PGA Tour to confirm it will replace the Buick Open in 2010.
Early and often at Warwick Hills, from the pro-am when he played with rocker Bob Seger through Sunday, Woods was thanked by fans who appreciated his appearance.
"I've never played in front of fans like this," Woods said.
And, they haven't seen a player quite like Woods.
He improved to 36-1 when he has the outright lead after 54 holes. Woods has four wins this season -- twice as many as anyone else on the US PGA Tour -- in just 11 starts since returning from knee surgery.
Roland Thatcher (64), Greg Chalmers (68) and John Senden (70) tied for second.
"I might go take a picture of the scoreboard since I'm tied with Tiger, but I'm not going to worry about getting ready for a playoff," Thatcher said when he ended his round soon after Woods was starting his. "I'm sure he's going to make my day a moot point."
Woods broke the tie with Thatcher with a 21-footer at No. 4, then two-putted from 43 feet to birdie the par-5 seventh. After saving par from the trees on 10 and water on 13, he picked up his final birdie with a two-putt on the par-5 16th.
He moved into first place in the FedExCup standings and padded his lead on the money list with another $918,000 after tying Vijay Singh's record of three Buick Open titles.
With the 69 wins, he trails just Jack Nicklaus (73) and Sam Snead (82).
Woods reached victory No. 69 at the age 33 years, 7 seven months -- almost seven years quicker than Nicklaus and eight years sooner than Snead.
Woods, playing for the first time since missing the cut at the British Open, got off to a brutal start at the Buick Open.
He shot a 71 in the first round and said it was probably the worst putting performance of his career, leading to him skipping his post-round practice session because he was so mad.
It only added to his legacy because he went from a tie for 95th to a victory, the largest jump he's made from the first round in a tournament he ended up winning.
Woods roared back into contention with the best five-hole start of his career -- beginning 6 under in the second round -- en route to a 9-under 63 for his best score in relation to par in four years.
He hit the ball relatively poor in the third round, but made enough clutch shots to finish with a 65 and take a one-shot lead into Sunday.
The three-shot victory was his most lopsided since winning the 2008 Buick Invitational by eight.
He took advantage of the easy course and weak field as expected. The six players who finished within five shots of Woods have a combined four titles.
"He's just laughing at all of us," Letzig said. "I wish he'd stop coming to the tournaments I'm coming to. Seriously, though, I love it."
Woods, whose previous three wins this year were each by one shot, spent much of Sunday with a two-shot cushion before he took a three-stroke lead with the birdie at No. 16.
His businesslike final round included three birdies and no bogeys and won without trailing in the final round for the first time since Bay Hill in 2008.
Competition and courses are about to get much tougher.
Woods will play at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational next before going to Hazeltine for the PGA Championship, his final chance to win a major this year.
He is set to compete in two straight tournaments going into a major for the first time in his career.
"I feel good," Woods said. "The win helps."
FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
268 Tiger Woods 71 63 65 69
271 John Senden (Aus) 64 66 71 70, Roland Thatcher 70 64 73 64, Greg Chalmers (Aus) 66 68 69 68
272 Y.E. Yang (Kor) 65 69 71 67
273 Michael Letzig 67 65 68 73, Ben Crane 68 71 65 69
274 John Rollins 68 71 67 68, Brian Vranesh 65 75 67 67, Vaughn Taylor 65 68 69 72, Jimmy Walker 70 64 69 71, Woody Austin 68 71 65 70, Bob Heintz 70 68 66 70
275 Charles Warren 70 65 68 72, Justin Leonard 72 67 69 67, J.P. Hayes 68 71 67 69, Troy Matteson 66 69 72 68
276 Bill Lunde 68 65 71 72, Bill Haas 68 68 69 71, Tim Herron 67 70 70 69, Paul Goydos 66 70 71 69, Billy Mayfair 68 68 69 71, Neal Lancaster 67 70 70 69, Matthew Jones (Aus) 68 68 71 69
277 Chad Campbell 68 71 68 70, Jim Furyk 69 69 69 70, Tim Petrovic 69 67 70 71
278 Scott Piercy 70 70 64 74, James Nitties (Aus) 65 70 71 72, Jason Day (Aus) 74 66 68 70, Bob Estes 70 70 71 67, Nathan Green (Aus) 69 70 71 68, Kevin Stadler 67 67 72 72, Jonathan Byrd 69 71 70 68, Jason Bohn 68 70 72 68, Jason Gore 70 69 71 68
279 Kris Blanks 69 68 72 70, Brian Gay 71 69 67 72, Jeff Quinney 69 67 75 68, Mark Hensby (Aus) 68 72 68 71, Greg Owen (Eng) 68 69 70 72, Heath Slocum 70 70 70 69, Jeff Klauk 66 70 69 74, Leif Olson 68 67 71 73, Marc Leishman (Aus) 67 69 68 75
280 Nick Watney 69 69 70 72, Kevin Na 69 69 70 72, Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 67 69 70 74, Tom Byrum 67 73 70 70, Brett Quigley 71 69 66 74, Matt Bettencourt 70 67 65 78
281 Jonathan Kaye 70 67 73 71, Mark Calcavecchia 69 69 73 70, Mark Brooks 69 66 71 75, Tom Pernice Jnr. 67 69 71 74, Matt Harmon 68 68 70 75
282 Charlie Wi (Kor) 68 70 70 74, Kent Jones 70 69 72 71, Chris Stroud 67 71 71 73, Craig Barlow 70 69 73 70, Corey Pavin 66 73 71 72, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 69 67 74 72
283 Guy Boros 70 70 73 70, Darron Stiles 68 71 72 72, Steve Lowery 63 75 73 72, David Duval 69 71 67 76, Rocco Mediate 68 69 79 67
284 Michael Bradley 70 65 76 73, Spencer Levin 70 70 72 72, Aron Price (Aus) 69 68 74 73
285 Carlos Franco (Par) 71 69 75 70
288 Patrick Sheehan 69 71 74 74
Labels: US PGA TOUR, US PRO TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Monday, August 03, 2009
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