Garcia gives joy to Torrance as Woods jostles to victory
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Your support makes all the difference.Sam Torrance, the European Ryder Cup captain watching on television, will have appreciated the brilliance of Tiger Woods' victory in the American Express World Championship. But on the last day here there was plenty of encouragement from his own charges who gather at The Belfry today for the match against the Americans.
Tiger's sixth win of the season had an air of inevitability until his lead was cut to one by Retief Goosen with an eagle at the 17th. Woods responded with his own birdie, after being in trouble off the tee, and should have completed his first tournament without a bogey. But at the 72nd hole he missed the green, having backed off his second shot when disturbed by a photographer.
He chipped to four feet but then missed for par. Nevertheless, Woods claimed the title and the $1m (£640,000) prize he had been set on all week. The margin of victory was one when he had been rarely less than three ahead all day, equalling his personal record score of 25 under par.
"The last hole got me," Woods said. "I wasn't too happy with what happened on the fairway. I was hot but I was also hot when I blocked the putt. I played so well all week and particularly today and I didn't want it to end that way. But it always means a lot to play against the best and come out on top."
Goosen, who was six under for six holes on the back nine, equalled the new course record of 62, 10 under par, set earlier in the day by Sergio Garcia. The Spaniard chipped in from just under 100 feet at the 17th for an eagle and after a fine approach at the last missed the 10-footer for birdie which would have given him his lowest score as a professional.
"That was a bit disappointing but I have never been 10 under before," Garcia said. "The only round that was better was the 62 I had at Loch Lomond three years ago. I am very happy with the way I played but even if I had not scored a 62 I would have been confident going to The Belfry."
Garcia, a 19-year-old rookie at Brookline three years ago, is now Europe's star player and, at 18 under, was fittingly the leading team member on the leaderboard here. "This week means nothing for next week," Garcia added, although Torrance will be pleased that the 64 of Phil Mickelson, who came home in 30 despite bogeying the last hole, was matched by the Swedish rookie Niclas Fasth, who birdied the last four holes.
It would be surprising if Garcia did not come across Woods at some point this week. But the Spaniard said: "If I play against him it will be great and even better if I beat him but the most important thing is to win the Ryder Cup. I will be trying to get as many points as possible."
Colin Montgomerie, meanwhile, said the words everyone, including Sam Torrance, expected him to utter when the Scot declared: "Obviously, I'm going to The Belfry. I can play five times but it is up to Sam whether I do or not." His back complaint will mean pre-dawn sessions in the gym but Monty, unlike Tiger, has no problem with going to the functions. "You have to eat," he said. "It's a busy week but you do it for the team."
While the Europeans scattered to reassemble today, the 10 Americans here and their captain, Curtis Strange, who was on TV duty, gathered for an informal dinner. "We'll have a few pints and the odd glass of wine. Tiger's buying," Mark Calcavecchia said. "Tiger will want to celebrate his win but he will be up for next week when we get there tomorrow."
WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP (Mount Juliet, Co Kilkenny) Leading final scores (GB or Irl unless stated): 263 T Woods (US) 65 65 67
66. 264 R Goosen (SA) 67 67 68 62. 267 V Singh (Fiji) 67 69 66 65. 268 J Kelly (US) 67 65 70 66; D Toms (US) 66 67 69 66. 269 S McCarron (US) 71 67 64 67. 270 S Garcia (Sp) 69 69 70 62. 271 D Love (US) 69 67 68 67. 272 M Campbell (NZ) 71 66 71 64; B Estes (US) 68 68 69 67. 273 N Fasth (Swe) 68 69 72 64; C DiMarco (US) 67 69 70 67, S Appleby (Aus) 69 66 70 68, J Leonard (US) 68 68 69 68. Selected: 275 P Harrington 69 70 67 69. 277 P Mickelson (US) 70 72 71 64; E Els (SA) 68 67 72 70. 278 J M Olazabal (Sp) 68 72 69 69. 279 C Montgomerie 72 70 69 68. 280 M Calcavecchia (US) 72 70 71 67; B Langer (Ger) 72 68 70 70.
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