Tiger Woods withstood a fantastic last round charge by reigning European Number One Retief Goosen to win the World Golf Championships – American Express Championship by a single shot after a thrilling final day at Mount Juliet.
Having started the fourth round five shots to the good, the World Number One’s final round 66 for a 25 under par total of 263 eventually saw him win by the narrowest of margins after Goosen closed with a sensational ten under par 62, equaling the course record set earlier in the day by Sergio Garcia.
It was a performance which took Goosen back to where he finished the 2001 season, at the top of the Volvo Order of Merit, setting up a fascinating end of season tussle for the Harry Vardon Trophy with fellow countryman Ernie Els who moved back to second, only €12,487 (£7,807) behind Goosen, after finishing tied for 23rd.
The win was the Woods’s sixth in a World Golf Championships event, taking the World Number One’s winnings to over $6 million. However it was tinged with disappointment for, after having gone 71 holes without dropping a shot, he finished the tournament with a bogey five.
Disturbed by a photographer over his second shot, Woods regrouped but still blocked his four iron approach into the rough to the right of the green and despite sending his pitch shot to four feet from the pin, he let his par effort slip past.
It would have been the first time Woods had won a tournament without shedding a single shot and would also have been the first time a tournament has been won on The European Tour International Schedule bogey-free since David J Russell took the 1992 Open de Lyon.
But the disappointment was soon put behind him as he received the rightful acclaim from the 33,680 crowd at the Kilkenny course, the highest figure of the week, which pushed the total for the four days of competition to 120,174.
“I love coming over to Ireland,” said Woods. “You know that I come here before every Open Championship and the people here are just fantastic, so gracious and nice and so knowledgeable about the game.
“You might hit a shot to maybe 20 or 30 feet from the hole but you will still get loud applause because the crowd realises how tough a shot it was and how well you did to get it that close. It is great to play in front of people who know the game.”
Having started the day five shots in front, such a close finish looked unlikely when Woods rolled in a 30 foot birdie putt at the first and added further birdies at the fourth and fifth, an eagle three at the tenth, and a birdie two at the 14th.
But with Goosen poised for an amazing run on the inward half, Woods knew the importance of continuing to press forward and, as it materialised, his birdie on the 534 yard 17th proved to be crucial in the final reckoning.
A four looked unlikely when he pulled his drive left behind a tree and pushed his second right into rough. A pitch to 18 feet still left the American with work to do but he rolled in the birdie putt in style, giving himself a crucial cushion which allowed him to bogey the last and still win.
Aside from the World Number One, the biggest cheers of the day were reserved for Goosen who so nearly forced a play-off. Having reached the turn in 32, the South African caught fire turning for home, birdies at the 12th, 13th, 15th and 16th preceding a stunning eagle three at the 17th where he holed from six feet after a superb three iron approach.
He needed a birdie at the last to crank up the pressure on Woods, but saw his effort from 15 feet slip narrowly past the cup. But, having gone back to the top of the Volvo Order of Merit, Goosen was naturally delighted with his showing in County Kilkenny.
“It is going to make it very interesting over the closing few weeks with myself and Ernie now in the respect of the Order of Merit with some of the big money tournaments coming up,” said Goosen.
“But today was one of the best rounds I’ve ever played. I’ve shot 62 a couple of times at Loch Lomond but this tops that. Overall I’m very happy with the week.”
Fellow European Tour Member Vijay Singh took third place on 21 under par 267 after a closing 65 while Americans Jerry Kelly and David Toms shared fifth on 268 with fellow countryman Scott McCarron sixth on 269.
Garcia gave Europe the perfect boost before The 34th Ryder Cup Matches at The De Vere Belfry this week with a stunning 62 earlier in the day which showed his game was in fine fettle and also raised him from 23rd at the start of the day to seventh on 18 under par 270.
It was symptomatic of the superb scoring which peppered the final day and indeed of the players who finished in the top ten, none scored worse than 67.
