Ten weeks later, nothing has changed with Tiger Woods and the rest of the golf world.
Woods won the final tournament of the year Sunday, closing with a 4-under-par 68 to match the tournament record at the Target World Challenge in Thousand Oaks, Calif., and set a record for the largest margin of victory, by seven shots over Masters champion Zach Johnson.
Woods had not played since Sept. 30 at the Presidents Cup, but he didn’t show much rust in winning his tournament for the fourth time and becoming the first player to win in consecutive years.
“Doesn’t help us, does it?” Colin Montgomerie said of Woods’ long break. “If he took a bloody year off, it would help. Never mind 10 weeks.”
Johnson closed with a 68, but the only challenge came from Jim Furyk.
Furyk got within two shots after nine holes, but the tournament changed abruptly on the 10th.
Woods holed a 12-foot birdie putt, and Furyk three-putted for bogey from 4 feet on a downhill putt.
“Jimmy put a ton of heat on me the front nine,” Woods said. “The whole tournament switched on the 10th.”
Woods finished at 22-under 266, tying the tournament record first set by Davis Love III in 2000. He earned $1.35 million, which he will donate to his Tiger Woods Foundation. Johnson, shut out at his first Skins Game last month, earned $840,000 for second. Furyk closed with a 71 and finished third, earning $570,000.
Sorenstam’s 70 good enough.
Annika Sorenstam won the Dubai Ladies Masters in the United Arab Emirates by two strokes for her first victory since she won there in 2006.
The Swede closed with 2-under 70 to finish at 10-under 278 at the season-ending tournament of the Ladies European Tour.
Kingston wins by one.
James Kingston shot a 1-under 71 to beat Oliver Wilson by a stroke at the South African Open in Paarl.
The South African finished at 4-under 284 overall. Wilson (73) began the day with a one-stroke lead, but the Englishman bogeyed three holes on the front nine.
Pars propel Parry.
Craig Parry made a 15-foot, par-saving putt on the 17th hole en route to a 3-under 69 and a one-stroke victory at the Australian Open in Sydney.
Parry, who won his first national championship in 24 attempts, laid up on the par-5 18th rather than risk going for the green in two shots.
He missed a birdie putt, but had only inches left for a tap-in to give him an 11-under 277.
