Woods Wins an Epic Battle

Tiger Woods tapped in his two-foot birdie putt on the seventh playoff hole Sunday and raised both fists like a heavyweight champion, a fitting pose after such an epic battle.

He and Jim Furyk traded great shots and great escapes in a sensational duel at the NEC Invitational, which started early to avoid the rain and looked like it might never end.

“It was a war,” Woods said. “Neither one of us gave an inch. It was fun to compete like that, where you were tested to the absolute utmost.”

Woods emerged the survivor, ending his winless summer in style.

After exchanging pars for six extra holes, hardly any of them routine, Woods hit a wedge that landed next to the hole and spun back to two feet for a birdie putt to win the tournament after the longest PGA Tour playoff in 10 years.

“It was just shot for shot,” Woods said. “Not too often do you get a chance to have your emotions and your intensity and your level of competitiveness at that high of a level. That’s the ultimate. Win or lose, to be out there in that environment is pretty cool.”

Furyk holed a bunker shot on the first extra hole to save par and extend the playoff.

Woods escaped from the trees with a fortuitous ruling and a brilliantly played bump-and-run from about 50 yards to save par, then made another impressive recovery around the trees two holes later.

“Now I understand why most of the golfers are gray and balding,” Woods said.

Furyk had three chances to win with birdie putts from about 12 feet, one of them catching the inside of the right lip.

“I didn’t lose it from tee to green,” Furyk said. “I lost it on the greens. I should have made more putts.”

Woods’ first victory since the Memorial in early June ended talk about what’s wrong with his game.

He had finished out of the top 10 in five straight tournaments, the longest stretch of his career. His victory at least temporarily squelched suggestions from Phil Mickelson that the PGA Tour player of the year award is up for grabs.

“I know that I’m playing a little bit better,” Woods said. “The swing changes I’ve made are starting to take shape.”

It was a heartbreaker for Furyk, who started the final day with a two-stroke lead and battled Woods to the bitter end.

“I don’t feel like I let anyone down today,” said Furyk, who closed with a 71. “I played well enough to win. I thought I won the tournament a couple times today, and I thought I lost it a couple times.”

Woods, 25, won for the 29th time in his career, tying Jack Nicklaus for the most PGA Tour victories before turning 30.

He won the NEC Invitational for the third consecutive year, making him the first player to take three straight tournaments at fabled Firestone Country Club, a course on which Nicklaus used to dominate.

Woods, 7-1 worldwide in playoffs, now has won four of the eight World Golf Championship events that count toward official money. The $1 million payoff--his sixth winning check worth at least that much--pushed him well past $25 million for a career that began five years ago today.

The ending was vaguely familiar.

A year ago, he hit a wedge to about the same distance in the dark to win this tournament by 11 strokes. This was far more entertaining, neither player willing to budge.

The last time a PGA Tour event went this many holes was the 1991 New England Classic, won by Bruce Fleisher.

Woods closed with a one-under 69. He and Furyk finished at 268.

Darren Clarke (69) finished three strokes behind, while Colin Montgomerie (70) finished fourth--his best tournament in America this year.

No one got closer than four strokes to Furyk or Woods. This was a duel from the start, and it turned out to be one of the most hard-fought battles of the year.

Woods appeared to have it won on the first playoff hole, No. 18, when Furyk left his third shot in a bunker above the hole. He blasted out again, and the ball caught the left edge of the cup and spun 360 degrees before falling.

He charged onto the green pumping his fist to celebrate one of the best clutch shots he has hit in his career. Woods, who had lagged a 35-foot birdie putt to four feet, calmly made his par and they headed over to No. 17.

From there they went back and forth, chased by a gallery that couldn’t get enough.

Before the playoff, it took Woods 13 holes to catch Furyk, and that’s where the fireworks began.

“We both gave it absolutely everything we had,” Woods said.

It required no less.

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The Playoff

The seven-hole playoff that Tiger Woods won over Jim Furyk in the NEC Invitational:

No. 18, 464 yards, par 4: Furyk hits into bunker, Woods hits wedge to 35 feet. Furyk leaves third shot in bunker, Woods lags to 4 feet. Furyk holes bunker shot for par. Woods makes the par putt.

No. 17, 392 yards, par 4: Both players drive into the fairway. Furyk hits approach to 12 feet. Woods’ approach rolls through the green, against the rough. Woods chips 15 feet by the hole. Woods makes par putt. Furyk’s birdie putt to win catches right lip. He taps in for par.

No. 18: Woods hooks his tee shot into the trees, Furyk hits to 12 feet behind the hole. Woods takes relief from scoreboard, then pitches into the fairway. Woods plays bump-and-run from 50 yards to 4 feet. Furyk’s putt to win stays left of the hole. He taps in for par. Woods makes par putt.

No. 17: From fairway, Furyk hits approach to 10 feet left of the hole. Woods’ approach spins back 35 feet. Woods two-putts for par. Furyk’s birdie to win stays right of the hole. He taps in for par.

No. 18: Woods drives over the trees into the right rough. Furyk’s drive goes into rough down the left side. Furyk’s approach goes into the front left bunker. Woods hits to the rough between two greenside bunkers. Furyk blasts out to 2 feet. Woods chips 4 feet past the hole. Both players made par putts.

No. 17: Both players drive into the fairway. Woods’ approach spins back 55 feet. Furyk’s approach comes up short on the fringe. Woods’ birdie putt grazes the left lip. Furyk’s putt from 45 feet for win stayed 4 feet left of the hole. With rain coming down hard, both players make their pars.

No. 18: Woods drives into first cut of rough down right side. Furyk drove into the right rough under a tree. Furyk punched out to the rough, then hit his approach just short of the green. Woods hit wedge into 2 feet. Furyk chipped to a foot and tapped in for bogey. Woods made the birdie.