Woods crushes Cink for 63rd title
IN: News | US PGA | Accenture Match Play Championship (2008) | Grand Final | by Bruce Young | 25 Feb 2008
Tiger Woods bookended his third win at the World Golf Championship Accenture Match Play with perhaps two of the most contrasting of matches. In round one against J.B. Holmes on Wednesday he was forced to produce the most magnificent come-from-behind victory while in today’s 36 hole final against Stewart Cink the result was never in doubt at any stage.
Woods won 8&7 after racing to a four up lead through eight holes and never really gave Cink a look in. Any thoughts of Cink getting back into the match after lunch were quickly dispelled when Woods added five birdies in his first eight holes of in the afternoon and it was all over at the 11th when Tiger produced his 12th birdie of the day.
In all Woods birdied nearly half of the 115 holes he played throughout the week, admittedly some conceded but it was yet another display of class and at times sheer determination to win the event for the third time.
Woods moves ahead of Mickelson on the 2008 money list with US$2,286,000 in just two events and will extend his lead in the world ranking once again when the new figures are posted again in the next few hours.
Woods also moved in to outright 4th place on the all-time PGA Tour win list with 63 titles to his name. He now sits one ahead of Arnold Palmer and just one shy of Ben Hogan on 64 with Jack Nicklaus (73) and Sam Snead (82) within reach if he continues playing like he has this year already.
Cink claimed some impressive scalps during the course of the week including those of the 2007 US and British Open Champions and despite the disappointment of struggling in what was the almost unwinnable battle today, he can be pleased with his week. The US$800,000 makes it a little easier to swallow also.
In the consolation match for third and fourth place, Henrik Stenson holed from 35 feet for eagle at the first hole of his 18 hole match against Justin Leonard and almost before the match had even warmed up he was four up against the Texan.
Leonard did get the deficit back to just two but there was never really any doubt which way this one was headed, the Swede eventually winning 3&2.
The PGA Tour has finished its West Coast swing and will play next week in Palm Beach Gardens in Florida when the Honda Classic gets underway on Thursday.
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