Tiger out of the woods with play-off victory

A sudden rain-shower and freshening winds signalled an impending storm here at Firestone yesterday, when Tiger Woods captured a $1 million first prize, in ample time for a late lunch. And that was after a protracted, seven-hole play-off with Jim Furyk, which contained astonishing survival skills, even by the stunning standards of the world number one.

It ended on the 18th where, after Furyk was twice in trouble in rough down the right, Woods played a glorious pitching wedge of 140 yards to within 18 inches of the pin. Suddenly, after the intensity of the previous 100 minutes, a broad smile broke across the champion's face.

In the process, destiny's child achieved two further, significant milestones. While passing $25 million in career prize money, he became the first player since Gene Sarazen 70 years ago, to hold two titles for three successive years - in Woods's case the Memorial and this one, both in the state of Ohio.

"It was a war out there with neither of us giving an inch," said Woods, after his sixth win of the season.

"Jim and I made our share of mistakes but we recovered real well. Win or lose, it's fun to compete like that." Especially, one imagines, after a build-up hampered by food poisoning.

With yesterday's start brought forward because of the weather, it also became a very lucrative exercise for Darren Clarke, who was third on his own for a reward of $375,000. This brought his dividend from five World Golf Championship events to a sizeable $1,603,000 which, of course, included a $1 million jackpot in the matchplay at La Costa last year.

Five strokes behind the leader, Furyk, entering the final round, Clarke needed to get off to a hot start, which he did with birdies at the second and third. But his chance of victory disappeared over the next four holes which he played in bogey, par, bogey, bogey.

Golfers often talk about sensing their name on the trophy when something remarkable happens during the victory effort. But as we discovered, such considerations don't apply in the company of Woods, otherwise a holed bunker shot by Furyk at the first tie hole, where he duffed his first recovery, would have heralded a win for the underdog.

"There were a few times when I felt I had won the tournament and there were a few times when I thought I'd lost it," said Furyk afterwards. "It was a tough week and I thought I played well enough to win. But with the only drive that really got away from me, I happened to hit it in the worst possible place." Woods had been a stroke behind playing-partner Furyk for much of the round until the long 16th where he holed a 10-foot birdie effort when both players were equidistant from the hole. Later, on the second play-off hole (the 17th), there was an amazing, 18-foot putt with a three-foot right-to-left break, which found the target.

And there was breathtaking bunker play from both players, along with one of those routine pars from Woods when, on the third play-off hole, he seemed to be dead in trees on the left, only to eventually pitch stiff from 50 yards and keep his hopes alive with a par.

Clarke, in the company of Ryder Cup wild card Paul Azinger, made a fine four at the long second where, after being bunkered off the tee, he played a nine-iron recovery and then a seven iron onto the green before holing from 15 feet. At the next, a 28-footer found the target.

But the possibility, however slim, of a second $1 million first prize, began to slip away when he three putted the next. Then came a missed four-foot birdie putt at the short fifth, before he three-putted once more, at the next.

These stumbles threatened to turn into a free-fall but to his great credit, Clarke battled bravely to steady the ship before carding two birdies on the homeward journey.

"I'm proud of the way I fought back," he said. "I didn't really play well enough over the four days to give myself a chance of winning, but for the most part, I made the best of my opportunity. Four rounds in the sixties certainly represent a fine achievement on a course as difficult as this." Meanwhile, an unusual rules infraction by Phil Mickelson on Saturday, led to the disqualification yesterday of fellow American Kirk Triplett. Mickelson was penalised one stroke for failing to notify his playing-partner, Furyk, of his intention to lift his ball in the rough on the left of the long 16th, for identification purposes.

When learning of Mickelson's punishment, Triplett realised that he had done the same thing in the second round on Friday, in the company of Lee Westwood. So, he effectively signed for a wrong score, which meant disqualification.

The upshot was that he and Westwood, who withdrew after Friday's round because of a strained wrist, shared last-place prize money of $26,000. More than sufficient, one might say, to cover medical fees and explanatory books on the rules of the game, where appropriate.