Master at work again, wins 3rd title of year

Tiger Woods fired a 3-under par 69 here to hold off his rivals and win the 6.4 million Wachovia Championship. Woods finished at 13-under 275 for his 57th career victory on the PGA Tour and his third in six starts this year.

Tiger Woods fired a 3-under par 69 here to hold off his rivals and win the 6.4 million Wachovia Championship. Woods finished at 13-under 275 for his 57th career victory on the PGA Tour and his third in six starts this year.

Steve Stricker 69 pulled his second shot into the creek at the brutal par-4 18th but salvaged a bogey to finish second at 277 yesterday. Phil Mickelson 70 snuck into a tie for third with South African Rory Sabbatini 74 at 279 when several other contenders made a mess of the difficult last hole.

Woods started the day a stroke behind Sabbatini but took command by picking up four shots in a brilliant three-hole stretch beginning at the par-5 seventh.

That gave him the cushion to withstand a double-bogey at the par-3 13th. 8220;The back nine I struggled a little bit,8221; he admitted. Making his first start since The Masters, Woods collected just one birdie in the first six holes. However, once he got his putter going he was unstoppable. Woods sank a 60-foot monster at the seventh, holed an eight-footer at the eighth and drained an 18-footer at the ninth.

Woods broke out of the pack, making the turn at 15-under and leaving Fiji8217;s Vijay Singh and Stricker in his wake. Woods, 31, collected 1.134 million to move to the top of the money list and the FedEx Cup points table.

8220;This week I didn8217;t really have my best stuff, but it was good enough,8221; he said. 8220;But I made a lot of putts this week, some crucial par putts from six to eight feet, which you have to make.8221;

Woods got a little lucky with his eagle at the seventh, where his drive came within a foot of finding the lake right of the fairway.

Story continues below this ad

But he took advantage of his break to hit a 7-iron to the back of the green and made his long putt. 8220;It should have probably been bogey six on that hole, because I lost my tee shot to the right, and I don8217;t know how it didn8217;t go in the water,8221; he said. 8220;All of a sudden, I had a perfect lie and I took a chance on that second shot to go for it.

8220;But I ended up on the top shelf of the green. I was just trying to two-putt and it happened to go in.8221;

Woods added birdies at the next two holes to take command at the turn and kept the lead despite a bogey at the par-5 10th and the double-bogey at the par-3 13th.

8220;My goal coming in was to try to get the lead through 15,8221; he said. 8220;I figured if I parred in I8217;d probably win, because in these conditions you figure probably no one is going to play those last three holes under par.8221;

Story continues below this ad

Playing two groups ahead, Stricker birdied the 15th to briefly tie for the lead but promptly dropped two shots at the 16th.

8220;I knew after I birdied 15, if I could just play in at even par, I8217;d have a chance,8221; Stricker said. 8220;It8217;s a little bittersweet. I8217;m happy I finished second, but I had an opportunity to win.8221;