Tiger Woods has won the JBWere Masters at Kingston Heath, the world No.1 carding a four-under-par final round to claim the title by two shots from Greg Chalmers. “I really felt comfortable with my swing today … I did some rehearsals last night, and felt very comfortable with what I was trying to do today.” – Tiger Woods The world No.1 rediscoved his A-game for the final round at Kingston Heath.The American provided immediate validation for the massive hype and his $3 million appearance fee when he won for the first time in Australia.
Tiger Woods, who finished 14-under-par on 274, after rounds of 66, 68, 72 and 68, defeated Chalmers, from Western Australia, who was outright second ahead of Jason Dufner, from the United States, and Francois Delamontagne, from France, in equal third at 10-under-par.
Adelaide’s Adam Bland carded the best round of the day, a 67, while former Masters champions Craig Spence and Aaron Baddeley matched Woods’s 68.
Defending titleholder Rod Pampling fired a final-round 73 to finish equal-14th at four-under, while Victorian Alistair Presnell finished five-under, in a tie for 12th place, to retain top ranking on the Australasian Tour Order of Merit.
Tiger Woods said after his round that he had achieved all that he had travelled Down Under to do.
Tiger Woods produced an outstanding performance in the pressure-packed final round, in which pundits
such as Jack Newton pondered whether the world No.1 would be able to overcome the travails he experienced in the third round.
Chalmers, the 1998 Australian Open Champion, made early birdies to remain in contention, but missed birdie opportunities at the 14th and 16th holes proved costly.
Australians Nitties and Chalmers had gone into the final round sharing the lead with Tiger Woods at 10-under.
But Tiger Woods began his day confidently when he opened with a birdie at the par-five 1st, and he was three-under when he reached the turn in 33.
Woods broke out of a tie to seize the outright lead when he moved to 12-under-par with a birdie three at the 5th hole.
He was then able to keep his pursuers at bay, and he stretched his break to three shots when he moved to 14-under with a birdie at the par-five 12th hole.
Tiger Woods dropped a shot at the 13th hole, his only bogey of the day, only his fourth of the week, after his approach shot bounced through the green, but he rebounded when he picked up a shot at the par-three 15th.
That birdie virtually assured the world No.1 of the title, but he was nevertheless disappointed to miss a birdie chance to consolidate his advantage at the 16th hole.
Tiger Woods parred his closing three holes, and he was assured of the victory when Chalmers, who needed an eagle two at the last to force a play-off, failed to hole his second shot at the 18th.
Tiger Woods’s victory was the 93rd of his professional career, and the seventh of the year.
He will next play his final tournament of the season, the Chevron World Challenge at Thousand Oaks, California, from December 3-6.