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Woods hangs on for win in Australia

Sat 14th, November 2009

Melbourne, Australia (Sports Network) - Dressed in his familiar red and black, Tiger Woods earned his latest win in a mostly unfamiliar setting.

Woods punctuated his first trip to Australia in 11 years with a victory at the JBWere Masters on Sunday, closing with a four-under 68 in the final round to win by two shots.

He finished at 14-under 274, picking up five birdies and just one bogey over his final 18 holes at Kingston Heath after beginning the day in a three-way tie for the lead.

"I got a W. That was the goal this week," Woods said after claiming his seventh victory of the year, the first six coming on the PGA Tour.

Australia's Greg Chalmers shot a 70 and finished in second place at 12-under 276, while American Jason Dufner (70) and France's Francois Delamontagne (69) tied for third at 278.

Woods received a hefty $3 million appearance fee, but the money appeared to pay off. Many thousands packed the course each day, lining the fairways and circling the greens as they followed the world No. 1 in his first trip to Australia since the 1998 Presidents Cup.

"This has been absolutely phenomenal," Woods said during the trophy presentation. "I'm sorry it took me so long to get back."

Before he leaves, Woods will pay nearly 50 percent in taxes on his appearance fee and a first-place check of around $250,000. He also received a watch and a glass trophy shaped like the Earth.

His win ended a two-week trip overseas that began with a sixth-place finish last Sunday in Shanghai, where a victorious Phil Mickelson stole the spotlight as Woods fizzled on the weekend.

In Australia, Woods held at least a share of the lead after every round. He scratched out a 72 on Saturday that was just good enough to end the day in a three-way tie for the lead.

He separated himself with three birdies on the front nine, the last two set up by back-to-back approach shots inside three feet at the fifth and sixth holes, giving him a two-shot lead.

"It was one of those things where you had to make birdies early. I was able to do that," said Woods.

Still leading by two shots and with 260 yards left at the par-five 12th, Woods ripped a shot with a fairway metal that bounced in front of the green and rolled up to about 20 feet.

He two-putted for a birdie -- tapping in nonchalantly with one hand on his putter -- to build a three-shot lead.

At the 13th, Woods was frustrated by a professional photographer who snapped a picture during his backswing. The result was an offline approach that forced Woods to chip onto the green. His five-foot par effort drifted right of the hole, trimming his lead to two shots.

It was Woods' only bogey in his last 25 holes.

Feeling comfortable with his swing, Woods knocked it close and made another birdie at the par-three 15th. With only three holes remaining -- and just two golfers playing behind him -- he would need only pars the rest of the way.

Even with so many Australians in the field, the crowd was ecstatic to see Woods walk off as the winner.

"It was such a great atmosphere to play in front of," he said.

James Nitties shot a 73 and took fifth place at nine-under 279, while fellow Australians Adam Scott (69) and Cameron Percy (72) shared sixth at 280. Another Aussie, Stuart Appleby (71), finished a stroke further back at 281.