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Woods gets first PGA win since ’09
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Tiger Woods celebrates on the 18th green after winning Sunday’s Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in Orlando, Fla. It is Woods’ first PGA win since 2009.
Associated Press
ORLANDO, FLA.
Tiger Woods finally brought the buzz back to the very thing that made him famous — winning.
Two weeks after another injury scare, Woods looked dominant as ever in that red shirt on Sunday to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
It was his first PGA Tour victory since a sex scandal at the end of 2009 led to one of the greatest downfalls in sports.
And with the Masters only two weeks away, Woods looks more capable than ever of resuming his pursuit of Jack Nicklaus in the majors.
Woods closed with a 2-under 70 for a five-shot win over Graeme McDowell.
The question two weeks ago was when he could play again. Now, it’s whether he can get back to being the player who once ruled golf.
Woods refused to acknowledge this as his first PGA Tour win in 923 days, dating to Sept. 13, 2009, at the BMW Championship. He counts the unofficial Chevron World Challenge last December.
Even so, this was significant — a full tour event against a strong field, and a performance so clean that he was never seriously challenged on the back nine.
The final hole was a mere formality, and Woods tapped his putter on the ground waiting for his turn, knowing that 30 months without a win on the PGA Tour was about to end. He walked off the green with his arm extended, waving his cap to a raucous gallery.
“It does feel good. It feels really good,” Woods said before signing his card. “It’s been a lot of hard work.”
The only thing missing was the host himself.
Palmer’s blood pressure increased during the final round from new medications, and he was taken to the hospital about 15 minutes before the tournament ended as a precaution. Alaistair Johnston, vice chairman at IMG and his longtime business manager, said Palmer would be kept overnight.
“Nobody is overly concerned,” he said.
Woods goes to No. 6 in the world, returning to the top 10 for the first time since May 22.
He finished at 13-under 275 for his 72nd PGA Tour win, one short of Nicklaus for second place on the career list. But that’s not the record Woods wants. He has 14 majors, four short of the Nicklaus standard, and he tries to end a four-year drought at the Masters, which starts April 5.
“I am excited, no doubt,” Woods said. “I’m looking forward to the momentum I’ve built here.”
It was the first time Woods had all four rounds under par since he returned from his personal crisis at the 2010 Masters.
McDowell made a 45-foot birdie putt and a 50-foot eagle putt early in the round to try to stay close, though he was never closer than two shots after starting with a double bogey. He closed with a 74.
“I think he really just kind of nailed home his comeback,” McDowell said. “Great to have a front-row seat watching maybe the greatest of all time doing what he does best — winning golf tournaments.”
Ernie Els failed in his bid to get into the Masters.