Beware the wounded Tiger
IN: News | US PGA | Buick Invitational (2005) | Final Round | by Bruce Young | 24 Jan 2005
Battling flu and at times a wayward tee to green game, Tiger Woods today gave his greatest signal yet that he is about to make 2005 'The year of the Tiger'. His win today at the Buick Invitational was the world number two's first USPGA Tour strokeplay win since the American Express WGC event in October of 2003. He has won in Japan and at his own event, the Target Championship last year and there have been five runner up finishes in that time, but this is a man who has little interest in anything other than victory.
Woods arrived at the golf courses which have given him so much success in both amateur and professional golf, early in the week with a bad case of the flu. He battled his way through the first round over the tough South Course in 69 and then moved closer in round two with a scintillating round of 63 on the North Course, that round disrupted by both fog and darkness. He was left stranded on day two with just one hole to play and when he returned on Saturday morning he birdied his last hole then along with Tom Lehman and Peter Lonard, both of whom he would play with over the next thirty six holes, he headed out to get as many holes done in round three before darkness would again set in. Two quick birdies had him within one shot of the Lehman lead but then three consecutive bogeys spread over fourteen hours saw him slip back. Those bogeys came when he had returned to the course on Sunday morning to complete round three but he would come back with two further birdies before a bogey at the last earlier today, had him at twelve under and in fifth place heading into round four.
Woods' flu, which had been such a problem earlier in the week, appeared to be almost gone but it would need to be as with eleven holes played in the morning, the last round would be as much a test of endurance as it would be of quality play.
Three early birdies by the 8th hole in round four had Woods zeroing in on leader Luke Donald and Woods' playing partner, Tom Lehman. Donald looked to be the one to catch however as he reached the turn, two under for his round and at sixteen under he was one ahead of Lehman and Woods and two ahead of Charles Howell III who was, at about that time, playing the last hole.
Challenges were coming thick and fast from further back in the field with Ernie Els getting it to twelve under by the time he reached the turn and veteran, Bernhard Langer, reaching thirteen under early in his last round. Another challenge would come from Charles Howell III, who after making a huge move with his third round 64, made a slow start to round four but was still very much in the picture as he stood over his approach to the par five last. Playing an hour ahead of the last group, Howell would have known that a birdie at the last would have him very much in the picture, especially given the danger lurking over the closing holes for those following.
He had already played those holes and all he needed now was a quality pitch and putt from 96 yards to put a score on the board for those behind to ponder over. As the ball was in the air, Howell no doubt thought he had half the equation accomplished. It was tracking right down the stick but to his horror and the horror of all who were present at the 18th, his ball pitched at the base of the flagstick and rebounded back into the water. It was a cruel blow and one that would cost him any chance of victory. He miraculously salvaged a bogey from off the green but the damage was done.
Woods hit a drive and a three iron to the 540 yard par five 13th to set up an easy two putt birdie and it was a case of game on as he, Lehman and Donald then appeared the only likely winners. Donald, who had finished runner up here last year and possesses in this writer's opinion one of the great swings in the game, made his first serious blunder at the 14th when either by poor execution or poor management he pulled his second shot left into a serious no go zone and took double bogey. He was back to fourteen under and when he bogeyed the 17th after another miss left, this time with his tee shot, his chance had all but gone.
And so it was left to the two main protagonists over the closing holes, Lehman and Woods to establish a champion on this long day. Lehman was first to crack with a costly mistake with his second at the par four 17th. Following a solid tee shot that left him with just 155 yards, Lehman missed the green right, catching the front right bunker and left himself an almost impossible shot, accentuated by an awful lie. The ball actually caught the hole on the way past but from eighteen feet he missed his putt for par and he headed to the 18th hole having given Woods a one shot lead.
Woods had been wayward from the tee for much of the week but just when he needed it most he was able to hit the perfect tee shot (310 yards) which left him within reach of the par 571 yard five. Lehman in the meantime was forced to lay up, the water guarding the front left of the green too much of a penalty to attempt to get close to the green. Woods from 235 yards came off his second and in the end was desperately lucky not to find the water. He found the fairway short of the green and was left with just 35 yards to the hole but it would be fair to say that it was not intentional.
In the meantime Lehman pitched flag high but the ball spun back to the front edge of the green. Woods then played an intelligent pitch to twenty feet behind the flag taking the water completely out of play. When he holed for his birdie the title was his but Lehman still had work to do to secure outright second. Leaving his first putt two and a half feet behind the hole, Lehman missed the slippery downhiller and was forced to settle for a tie for second with Donald and Howell. It was a costly miss with the difference between outright second a share second some US$160,000.
For his trouble Tiger goes back to the top of the money list for the first time since mid-2003, the US$864,000 for his win here taking him some US$100,000 past his main adversary, Vijay Singh.
Of the Australasians, Peter Lonard was best finishing in 14th place after a tough day where he played with Woods and Lehman for all 29 holes on day four. Lonard eventually finished in 14th place and will pick up $US84,000. After finally getting over the effects of the flu last week in Hawaii, Lonard will have mixed emotions about the week's efforts. It was his best finish on the PGA Tour since the Memorial last year but after the start he made to the week, it could have been much better.
Scott Hend did well after being a late call up to play the event, getting one of the last spots available. His second round of 64 was brilliant and had him off to a good start in his first event of the year having regained his card at the USPGA Tour School in December. Hend eventually finished 20th and has US$56,000 in the bank.
Aaron Baddeley, with veteran caddie Peter Benda on the bag, did well to finish 24th his best result in his last 22 starts on the USPGA Tour.
Brendan Jones was 66th after making his first USPGA Tour cut, Paul Gow 70th and Michael Long 72nd.
The USPGA Tour now heads to Palm Springs for the five round Bob Hope Chrysler Classic starting on Wednesday.
