Jim Furyk has a big finish at Sherwood

Maybe it was appropriate that Tiger Woods’ charity golf tournament, so emotionally charged when it started with the saga of Woods’ personal affairs, ultimately would end up in the hands of Jim Furyk.

So stoic and single-minded about his game that he couldn’t remember blowing last year’s Chevron World Challenge, Furyk this year shut out the noise about the problems afflicting the world’s No. 1 golfer -- including Woods’ withdrawal from his own tournament -- and went about the business of playing winning golf.

Furyk, 39, capped a five-under-par 67 with a birdie on the 18th hole Sunday to win the 18-player tournament -- and its $1.35-million first prize -- by one shot over Graeme McDowell at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks.

Lee Westwood and Padraig Harrington finished at 11 under, two shots behind Furyk, and four players were at nine under: 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson, this year’s British Open winner Stewart Cink, Sean O’Hair and Ian Poulter.

PGA champion Y.E. Yang, who shared the lead with McDowell after three rounds, shot 74 and finished eight under on a chilly, mostly cloudy day at the Jack Nicklaus-designed Sherwood course.

Furyk’s victory was his first in more than two years, his last coming at the Canadian Open in 2007.

“It feels like about 10 [years]” and “it feels really good” to win again, said Furyk, who had taken six weeks off before this tournament. “I played the back nine fantastic this week.”

Furyk, wearing the host’s usual Sunday red, wasn’t oblivious to the problems afflicting Woods, who, just as play began Sunday, issued a statement on his website that thanked the tournament’s organizers and sponsors.

Woods also again apologized for being “unable to fulfill my duties as host and player in this important event.”

It was Woods’ first statement since the one he issued Wednesday when, amid widespread reports of alleged extramarital affairs, he acknowledged making “transgressions” and apologized for “letting my family down.”

This year’s tournament indeed “has a different feeling,” Furyk said. “[Woods] and his wife are friends of mine and as friends, you want to support them and wish them the best.”

Besides his birdie on the 18th after a great approach shot, Furyk’s victory turned on a long, par-saving putt he made on the par-three 17th hole after his eight-iron tee shot landed short in a deep bunker.

“In order to win some golf tournaments . . . you have to get some good breaks,” he said. “I hit a great putt and it was down in the middle of the hole.”

McDowell was the last-minute addition to the field after Woods withdrew and he kept the pressure on Furyk with a two-under 70.

“I had a few good looks at [the win] coming in” on the final nine holes, said McDowell, who also birdied the 18th but would have needed to hole out his second shot and make eagle to tie Furyk. “I just didn’t really quite seem to be able to get it to happen today.”

Speaking of holing out, a trio of golfers achieved the feat Sunday.

Steve Stricker holed his second shot on the par-four 10th hole for an eagle and Cink, playing in the twosome behind Stricker, did the same thing when he played the 10th.

Camilo Villegas did them one better, holing out his second shot from the fairway on the par-five 13th hole for a double-eagle two.

Stricker, who finished second last year behind winner Vijay Singh, used his eagle to score another rarity: a 29 on the back nine. That gave him a 65 for the day as he finished at seven under, six behind Furyk.

james.peltz@latimes.com