Matchup Is Just Fine for Woods

Tiger Woods was saying earlier in the week that he likes match play. He likes going head-to-head, mano-a-mano.

And that was the way it was Sunday afternoon, when he eagled the 18th hole to forge a two-stroke victory over Billy Ray Brown in the $2.7-million Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines.

Woods’ closing eagle took him to 22-under-par, tying the tournament record set by George Burns in 1987 and earning him $486,000 for his first victory since the BellSouth Classic in May 1998.

The notion that Woods might break his mini-drought in San Diego seemed far-fetched until he vaulted from 36th place to first with his course-record 62 on Saturday. He followed that with a 65 on Sunday, making him 17 under par for the weekend.

Twelve golfers were within four shots of the lead Sunday morning, but Brown--trailing by a stroke in the morning--was the only one around at the end. They were tied at minus-20 going to 18, but Brown misfired on his second shot and settled for a par and a final round score of 66.

“I thought the winning score would be 20 under, but Billy Ray basically countered everything I did,” Woods said. “We got to 18 and, unfortunately for Billy Ray, he hit a bad shot at the wrong time and I was able to hit a good one.”

Woods out-drove Brown on the 18th, but Brown had a three-iron to the green. He hit it heavy and it stopped in the rough next to the pond that fronts the green.

“You might call it ‘heavy,’ ” Brown said, “but I’d call it real fat. It was a bad swing, a real indecisive swing.”

Given the opening, Woods hit a seven-iron to 15 feet. Brown chipped on and two-putted for his par before Woods ran his putt downhill into the hole for the eagle he didn’t, by that time, need.

It was amazing that it came to such a conclusion, because Woods started out as though he was going to run away and hide. He birdied three of the first four holes, making him 15 under for 24 holes starting with the last two Friday, when he was scrambling to make the cut, and extending through 18 Saturday and on into Sunday.

At that point Sunday, Woods’ lead over playing partners Brown and Kevin Sutherland was four shots. Bill Glasson, who would finish third, was five back.

Woods had a mortal moment, however, and bogeyed No. 5 from the back fringe. Brown birdied Nos. 6 and 8 to draw within one and Glasson eagled the sixth to get within two. Tiger was being seriously stalked.

An eagle at No. 9 and a birdie at No. 10 might have given him a cushion, but Brown was counter-punching. He birdied Nos. 9 and 10 and pulled to within one again when Woods three-putted for a bogey on the 11th. Glasson also birdied the ninth and 10th.

“From my standpoint,” Woods said, “the match between Billy Ray and I turned into a one-on-one after the 13th. We birdied the 13th and Bill Glasson didn’t.”

Woods was 20 under and Brown was one behind. Glasson, who bogeyed the 12th, had slipped to four behind. He never threatened again.

And so Woods found himself going head-to-head against a veteran player whose career has been greatly inhibited by wrist problems. Brown, who last won in 1997, made only eight cuts in 25 appearances last year and none in two tournaments before Torrey Pines this year. The $486,000 first prize would represent his biggest year yet.

“It’s tough to get into a match play situation with a player like Tiger,” Brown said, “but that’s what it came down to.”

And Brown drew the first blood in this pairing, when he birdied the 16th from six feet to draw even at 20 under. When Woods drove into the rough on No. 17, Brown had an opportunity but his seven-iron from the fairway leaked into the right rough. Woods also hit to the greenside rough.

“I tried to get a little too aggressive,” Brown said. “I needed to put that ball in position to put a little heat on him. And I missed.”

Both settled for pars on No. 17, but Brown’s chip spun into and out of the hole.

“I thought he made it,” Woods said. “It looked dead-center. That was a lucky break for me. I thought I was down one.”

That brought them dead even to the 18th, when Brown’s errant second shot gave Woods a huge opening.

“I was actually lucky that shot didn’t go into the water,” Brown said. “I told Tiger after we were done that I was glad he made the eagle.” He smiled. “I had one of my greatest days of head-to-head golf, but he was incredible. He’s like a machine.”

UP NEXT

Nissan Open

WHERE

Riviera CC

WHEN

Thursday-Sunday

COVERAGE

Riviera is merely a tuneup for the big money at La Costa. Page 7

Buick Invitational

Final scores for the top finishers (with earnings) after Sunday’s final round:

Tiger Woods: 68-71-62-65--266 -22

($486,000)

Billy Ray Brown: 69-65-68-66--268 -20

($291,600)

Bill Glasson: 68-67-68-67--270 -18

($183,600)

Three tied at -15