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Woods battles to one-shot win at Invitational
AKRON, Ohio, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Tiger Woods clawed his way to a one-shot win over Chris DiMarco at the $7.5 million WGC NEC Invitational on Sunday, collecting his fourth victory in seven years at the Firestone Country Club. There was nothing pretty about Woods's fifth success of the season as he struggled to a final round one-over 71 on the famed South Course that he claims as one of his favourites. But what the world number one's performance lacked in style he more than up for with grit and determination, tapping in on 18 for a winning total of six-under 274 to earn his 10th victory in 20 World Golf Championship starts. DiMarco, who lost to Woods in a playoff at the U.S. Masters in April, carded a two-under 68 but once again had to settle for runner-up honours with five-under 275. World number two Vijay Singh had a final round three-under 67 to finish in a tie for third at four-under 276 with Irishman Paul McGinley (72) and American Ryan Palmer (69). Britain's Luke Donald (67) and David Howell (69) and American Kenny Perry (74) were one shot further adrift on 277. The victory was the 45th of Woods career moving him past Walter Hagen on the all-time list with Billy Casper now next in his sights with 51. It was also the richest payday in Woods 10-years on the PGA Tour pocketing a $1.3 million winner's cheque to push him over the $8.5 million mark in season earnings. "I hit the ball beautifully all day and I just could not make a putt," said Woods. "I hit putts that didn't go in or hit just atrocious putts that weren't even close. "It was frustrating. It was playing so hard out there. "When Chris (DiMarco) posted five-under, I was just trying to make some birdies somewhere, and luckily I made that putt on 16." FLAWLESS START Twice a winner this season, Perry had looked poised to notch his third title after a flawless start to his final round took him to eight-under through eight holes and a two-shot advantage over a faltering field. But a bogey at the ninth heralded a full-scale collapse as the 45-year-old followed up with dropped shots at 10, 12, 13 and 14 to fall from the chase. Woods, who began the round tied for the lead with Perry at seven-under, got his day off to a wobbly start sending his drives off the second and third tees into the galleries. He recovered with a six-foot birdie putt on the second but was not so lucky on the third when his three-foot attempt for par lipped the cup. Woods dropped another shot when he three-putted the par-three fifth then stumbled into the turn, carding his third bogey of the afternoon on the par-four ninth. The Masters and British Open champion, however, wasted no time mounting his charge by opening his back nine with a 10-foot birdie on the 10th. His rally quickly fizzled, however, with a bogey on the par-four 11th and a string of pars after near miss birdie putts that left the 29-year-old American wincing. SOLE LEADER Woods continued to grind and was finally rewarded with a birdie on the mammoth 667-yard par-five 16th to take sole possession of the lead. After his tee shot carved into the right trees, Woods had looked in danger of dropping further down the leaderboard rather than moving up when he muscled his second shot out into the fairway. But a brilliant approach followed by an 18-foot putt brought the first smile of the day to the world number one's face. Woods said: "Finally I made three good strokes and it happened to me on the last three holes, 16 and 17 and 18." DiMarco, who began the day four back of Woods and Perry, mounted his charge early with birdies on three of his opening six holes and added another on the 11th to get to four-under but back-to-back bogeys on 12 and 13 and another on 17 left him in the clubhouse hoping for Woods to falter or a playoff. "I felt like I played good enough to win the Masters and I felt I played good golf today," said DiMarco, who has also runner-up to David Toms at the WGC Match Play championships in Carlsbad earlier this year. "Bridesmaid is getting old, I can promise you that, especially when I've played good enough to get there and not gotten it."
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