Date: August 10, 2009
Author: PA Sport

Tiger’s seventh heaven

Tiger Woods landed his seventh World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational title on Sunday as Robert Allenby held on to take a share of second place alongside Padraig Harrington, whose title bid met a watery end at Firestone Country Club. Woods, who won by four shots, had decimated the three-shot third-round lead held by Harrington in the first four holes of the final round before the Irishman regained the advantage with five holes to play. Disaster befell Harrington, though, as he zig-zagged his way down the 16th and then sent his fourth shot at the par-five from greenside rough into the pond guarding the front of the green. A triple-bogey eight was the end result as Woods carded a birdie four on the way to a second consecutive 65 that sealed his 90th victory worldwide, his 70th PGA Tour win, his fifth title of the year and the second in as many weeks after landing last Sunday&aposs Buick Open. Harrington had started his final round at 10-under-par with a three-stroke lead over the world No.1. Having both parred the opening hole, Woods piled the pressure on Harrington at the par-five second by sinking a 24-foot eagle putt to move to nine-under. Woods also birdied the fourth and Harrington&aposs three-shot lead had evaporated. Woods&apos putter was as hot as the weather and another birdie on the fifth gave him the lead. Harrington was not without his chances and at the eighth his 14ft birdie putt came up short by inches, but he handed the advantage to Woods at the ninth with his first significant error of the round. Woods had hit his second shot to seven feet but Harrington, from the fairway, could only find a greenside bunker. The Irishman escaped from the sand to inside six feet but Woods holed for birdie to move into a two-shot lead at 12-under. Harrington clawed a shot back at the 11th and was back on level terms when Woods bogeyed the par-four 13th. There was more bad news for Woods at the next when he found rough at the back of a greenside bunker with his approach and then pitched his third shot into the sand. Harrington sank his par putt from 14 feet, celebrating with a fist pump while Woods chipped to five feet and took his bogey to fall to 10-under. Both men parred the 15th but the tables dramatically turned back in Woods&apos favour at the par-five 16th. The duo missed the fairway off the tee, Harrington to the right and Woods to the left. The world No.1 laid up in the fairway but the Irishman found a mound of rough at the front edge of a fairway bunker and sent his next shot through the green. By that time Woods had produced some magic from 182 yards, his eight-iron approach stopping a foot from the hole. There was more woe for Harrington as his wedge out of the rough hopped onto the green and bounced into the water, leading to a triple-bogey eight. Woods&apos birdie gave him a three-shot lead with two to play and he sealed the win in style with another birdie on the last. Harrington posted a 72 to fall into a tie for second with Allenby, who shot a 66 to finish at eight-under. Hunter Mahan and Masters champion Angel Cabrera finished on seven-under in a tie for fourth while Open winner Stewart Cink and his fellow American Steve Stricker closed at six-under alongside Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez. Mathew Goggin and Geoff Ogilvy were tied for 22nd at even-par. New Zealander Danny Lee earned a tie for 51st after a final round 70 saw him finish at six-over 286 for the week. Meanwhile, Aussie Rod Pampling has finished in outright eighth place behind American John Rollins at the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open. Pampling, who started the day in a share of 18th place, fired a blistering five-under 67 to rocket up the leaderboard. He finished 11-under. Rollins shot an even-par round to claim victory at 17-under, three strokes clear of compatriot Jeff Quinney and Scotland&aposs Martin Laird. Marc Leishman was tied for 14th at nine-under, while Matt Jones was a further stroke back in a share of 17th place. And Scott Gardiner has finished tied for ninth at 10-under on the Nationwide Tour&aposs Wichita Open.