This victory was different.
Tiger Woods did his best to open the door to his opponents at Firestone. He hit a 9-iron off the clubhouse Friday. He suffered through four straight bogeys Saturday, a first for him since 1996. He trailed by five shots at one point during the third round.
And on Sunday, Woods blew a three-shot lead on the back nine. Then he made a bogey on the third hole of his playoff with Stewart Cink.
But despite his best efforts to give away the tournament, there were no takers. It seems the only player who can beat Woods these days is Woods, and that just isn’t his style.
Woods prevailed again Sunday in Akron, winning the Bridgestone Invitational for the fifth time. His birdie in the rain on the fourth playoff hole defeated Cink.
The victory was Woods’ fourth in a row, his hottest streak since he won six straight at the end of the 1999 season and the beginning of 2000. But unlike his three other recent titles, which included playing flawlessly to win the British Open and the PGA Championship at Medinah, Woods won by being less than perfect at Firestone.
Woods won his 52nd tournament on the 10th anniversary of his pro debut at the Greater Milwaukee Open in 1996. He is tied with Byron Nelson for fifth on the PGA Tour’s all-time victory list.
“I was just trying to get it around somehow and keep myself in the ballgame,” Woods said. “I wasn’t swinging the club very consistently at all.”
Woods could be swinging a frying pan and still win a playoff. He improved to 9-1 in that department.
With rain in the forecast, tee times were moved up, causing CBS to televise the tournament on tape delay. Sure enough, the downpour started during the fourth playoff hole, giving Woods ample incentive to get off the course.
“Just end this thing now,” a soaked Woods said of his winning putt.
Credit Cink for trying to provide a challenge. His birdies on 16 and 17, coupled with Woods’ bogey on the par-5 16th, pulled him into a tie for the lead in regulation at 10 under. Woods had a 68 in the final round, while Cink shot 69.
With each passing hole, Cink’s chances diminished. He had his best shot on the third playoff hole, when Woods bogeyed the par-4 18th. However, Cink failed to drop his 6-foot par putt.
“I didn’t convert, and he did,” Cink said. “That’s why he has the trophy.”
The PGA Tour’s rules staff received an assist for Woods’ slim margin of victory. Its decision on his roof shot was controversial.
From the rough on 18, he hit a 9-iron an estimated 212 yards, sending it over everything before it landed on the roof of the clubhouse. The clubhouse was judged to be a “temporary immovable obstruction.”
As a result, Woods was awarded line-of-sight relief, allowing him to take a drop. He was able to escape with a bogey, much better than the double or triple bogey he would have faced had the shot been ruled out of bounds.
Thanks to the rules officials, imagine the chaos that could result in recreational rounds now. Citing Woods, players will ask for similarly favorable judgments after shots that carom off three cars in the parking lot.
Woods could stretch his winning streak to seven in a row by the end of the year.
He probably will play three more tournaments in 2006: the Deutsche Bank Championship next week in Boston, the Funai Classic at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando from Oct. 19-22, and the Tour Championship in Atlanta from Nov. 2-5.
Woods said he won’t alter his approach now that he’s streaking again.
“It doesn’t change,” Woods said. “I’m just here to win.”
If Woods somehow wins his remaining three events, he will have won nine of 16 tournaments in 2006, better than 50 percent.
Don’t bet against him.
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esherman@tribune.com
