Woods Wins The Buick Open

AP

  
 
   

GRAND BLANC, Mich. (AP) Tiger Woods is hoping a victory at the Buick Open leads to even greater things at the PGA Championship.

"You always want to win the big ones," said Woods, who was scheduled to fly Sunday night to Minnesota to play in the PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club starting Thursday.

"That's what it is all about," Woods said. "That's why we practice. That's why we play. That's what we dreamt about as kids, to win those big events and there's only four a year."

Woods, who won the Buick Open by four strokes Sunday, has won seven of the last 12 majors. He won the first two this year - the Masters and the U.S. Open - then missed a chance to win the Grand Slam with his 28th-place tie at the British Open three weeks ago.

But, beginning Thursday in Chaska, Minn., he has an opportunity to be the first to win three majors in a year twice. Ben Hogan did it in 1953 and Woods did it two years ago.

"That would rank right up there," Woods said. "Hopefully I can add that to my list. It's already been a successful year and I would like to make it even more successful."

Woods closed with a 2-under 70 to win the Buick at 17 under. It was his 33rd PGA Tour victory and fourth in his last eight starts.

"You want to feel like you're playing well going into a championship," Woods said. "And any time you win, you feel good."

Esteban Toledo, who began the final round one stroke behind Woods, stayed with the world's best golfer through 12 holes, but then collapsed with three straight bogeys.

Toledo shot a 1-over 73 to finish at 13 under, tied for second with Mark O'Meara (68), Brian Gay (68) and Fred Funk (71). It matched Toledo's best finish and moved him from 118 to 85 on the money list.

"He's the best player and I tried to put some pressure on him," Toledo said. "It just didn't work."

Woods insisted he was at Warwick Hills this week to win and not just to practice for the PGA. He opened with a 67, shot a season-best 63 on Friday and had a 71 Saturday.

He won $594,000 to extend his tour-leading total to more than $4.5 million this year and a record $30,878,252 over his seven-year career.

If Woods wins the PGA Championship, he would be the first player to win a major after winning a tournament the previous week since Sandy Lyle won the Greater Greensboro Open and the Masters in 1988.

Woods is 25-2 in PGA Tour events when leading or tied for the lead after 54 holes. Since 1958, just 16 of 38 players who have at least shared the lead after 54 holes have won the Buick Open.

Woods and Toledo were essentially engaged in match play while the rest of the field failed to threaten them, until the former professional boxer bogeyed Nos. 13-15.

On No. 1, a hole Woods double-bogeyed Saturday, he opened a two-stroke lead with a birdie.

Toledo got the stroke back with a 20-foot birdie putt on No. 4. Woods missed an 8-foot putt to bogey 5 and fall into a tie at 15 under.

Woods went back ahead by a stroke on No. 6 with a 30-foot birdie putt. The crowd roared when he punched the air - as he has done countless times - with his right fist.

Refusing to let Toledo's confidence grow, Woods put his tee shot a foot from the pin at the par-3 11th, and made the birdie for a two-stroke lead.

Toledo bounced back with a birdie on 12 to pull within a stroke, but then bogeyed the next hole while Woods birdied.

"That was the key to the tournament," Toledo said.

Toledo also bogeyed 14 and 15 - as Woods parred - to fall five strokes back. He bogeyed 18 to fall into a four-way tie, which cost him $138,600.

Woods is playing the week before a major for the fourth time and all of those tournaments have been the Buick Open, which he won for the first time.

He said poor health would be the only thing that would prevent him from returning to Warwick Hills next year when the Buick Open moves two weeks before the PGA Championship, switching weeks with The International.

Phil Mickelson, who will have another chance to win his first major at Hazeltine, had an erratic week. He made 24 birdies, 10 bogeys and three double bogeys to finish in a tie for 29th at 8 under.

Defending PGA Championship winner David Toms (71) finished tied for 10th at 11 under.

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