Eagle-Eyed Woods a Winner

Until the crowd roared, Tiger Woods had no idea the shot that propelled him toward another dramatic victory had dropped into the hole.

Woods pulled two strokes clear of New Zealand’s Michael Campbell when his seven-iron from 175 yards flew straight into the cup for an eagle-two at the 13th hole of the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open on Sunday.

“I didn’t know if it went over the green or into the hole, then I heard the roar,” Woods said.

Ten strokes behind Campbell at the halfway mark, Woods finished with a four-stroke victory at 22-under 266, winning the tournament for the second time in three years and registering a victory for the fourth time in five events.

With an eagle-three on the first hole and three birdies against one bogey, Woods shot a six-under 66, while Campbell went 70-270.

Woods and Campbell traded the lead several times until the eagle at the 396-yard, par-four 13th.

“It was a great shot by a great player,” Campbell said. “I was doing fine, then suddenly he turned things around. It was pretty hard for me from there.”

The victory was Woods’ first since the Masters, which completed his sweep of the majors, and was his 12th in 24 events he has played that count toward the European money title. Though he doesn’t play on the European tour, the victory pushed him to No. 3 on the all-time money list, passing former Masters champion Ian Woosnam.

Australia’s Peter O’Malley, with a final-round 69, and Denmark’s Soren Kjeldsen, with 65, tied for third at 17 under.

Woods’ 10-stroke comeback was one of his biggest since rallying from 11 behind two-time U.S. Open champion Ernie Els midway through the 1998 Johnnie Walker Classic in Thailand.

After opening rounds of 69 and 68, he climbed back into contention with a nine-under 63 on Saturday, while Campbell struggled to a 73.

“That was the key,” Woods said. “He could have blown us all out with another low round, but fortunately he didn’t. It’s awful hard to follow up two great rounds like that.”

Campbell’s 17-under 127 (62-65) two-day total was one of the lowest recorded on the European tour.

The 13th hole was the fifth eagle of the event for Woods and his second of the day after one at the par-five 558-yard first, where he dropped a 15-foot putt.

That eagle lifted him into the lead as playing partner and third-day leader Eduardo Romero of Argentina--one shot ahead of both Woods and Campbell at the time--bogeyed and faded with a five-over 77.

Campbell then passed Woods by a stroke by stringing together three birdies in his first four holes, and the lead switched hands twice more.

“I knew I was going to have to [get] birdies to win--Michael wasn’t going to hand it to me,” Woods said.

Then came the key swing. Preparing for his second shot at the 13th, Woods pulled out a six-iron. But the wind died and he shifted to a seven-iron, and knocked it straight into the cup at the St. Leon-Rot course.