Akron, Ohio – For three straight holes in a playoff, Tiger Woods could only stand to the side of the green and watch someone else control his fate Sunday at the Bridgestone Invitational.
Given a chance to win, he wasn’t about to waste it.
Woods hit an 8-iron through a driving rain to within 8 feet on the fourth extra hole, then made the birdie putt to outlast Stewart Cink at Firestone South for his fourth consecutive victory.
It came on the 10th anniversary of his turning pro, and it gave Woods his 52nd career victory to match Byron Nelson for fifth all time.
“Just end this thing now,” Woods said he told himself on the birdie putt at No. 17. “If I make mine, it’s over.”
And it was, but not before a roller-coaster round that capped off a strange week.
Woods ended his round Friday by hitting a 9-iron over the green, onto the clubhouse roof and down the other side. He followed that by making four straight bogeys Saturday, his longest such streak in nearly 10 years.
Under dark clouds in the final round, he went from a two-shot deficit to a three-shot lead in a span of four holes, then lost a three-shot lead over the final three holes to fall into a playoff.
“I was very lucky to even be in the playoff,” Woods said.
The result was familiar, especially at this event. Woods now has won five times at Firestone, the most of any golf course on the PGA Tour. He has won four times each at Augusta National and Torrey Pines.
Woods has won his past four starts, his longest winning streak since he won six in a row at the end of the 1999 season and the beginning of 2000.
“You don’t know how many chances you’re going to have to beat Tiger in a playoff in your career,” Cink said.
Cink, who missed an 8-foot par putt that would have won on the third playoff hole, hit into the bunker and blasted out to within 6 feet on the 17th. Before he could save par, he wound up shaking hands with Woods and watching him collect another World Golf Championship.
“I didn’t convert, and he did,” Cink said. “That’s why he has the trophy.”
Cink had a shot to win on the first three playoff holes – a 20-foot chip that grazed the lip at No. 18, an 18-foot putt that missed on the high side at No. 17, and an 8-foot par putt on the 18th again that missed to the right.
On the first extra hole, Woods pulled his approach long and left into the rough, but pitched to within 5 feet and escaped with par. The second time playing the 18th in the playoff, Woods found a greenside bunker 40 feet from the flag, blasted out to within 8 feet and left it inches short.
Victory seemed inevitable for Woods, when he turned a two-shot deficit at the turn into a three-shot lead with his 20-foot birdie on the 13th.
On the 652-yard 16th hole, Woods hit into the trees down the right side and had to pitch out to the fairway, leaving himself about 230 yards to the flag. He went over the green, chipped to 4 feet and missed the par putt.
Cink, who started the final round with a one-shot lead, holed a 15-foot birdie on the 16th hole, then made a 20-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to tie Woods atop the leaderboard.
Jim Furyk closed with a 68 to finish one shot behind, making a 10-foot par save on the 18th. Paul Casey of England, among four players atop the leaderboard at one point in the final round, stumbled on the back nine and shot 71. He tied for fourth along with Angel Cabrera (65), Lucas Glover (69) and Davis Love III (71).
On Wednesday, Woods will go for a fifth straight victory when he plays the Deutsche Bank Championship outside Boston. He already has won six of his 13 starts on the PGA Tour this year.
Tiger ties Nelson
Most victories in a career, with PGA Tour co-sponsored and approved tournaments only:
1. Sam Snead 82
2. Jack Nicklaus 73
3. Ben Hogan 64
4. Arnold Palmer 62
5. x-Tiger Woods 52
5. Byron Nelson 52
7. Billy Casper 51
(x – active)
