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One for Payne Memories of Stewart overshadow Woods' TPC winBy Gene Menez
Tiger Woods continued his amazing season by cruising to a four-stroke victory over Davis Love III at Champions Golf Club, bringing normalcy to an emotional week that began with the tragic death of Stewart and five others in a plane crash three days before the start of the tournament. It was a week in which more tears than putts fell, as most of the PGA community traveled from Houston to Orlando Friday to attend Stewart's memorial ceremony, opting to complete 27 holes of golf on both Thursday and Saturday. Still, there was no denying the magnitude of Woods's achievement. With the win Woods captured his third consecutive victory and his seventh on Tour this year, the most since Johnny Miller's eight in 1974. Woods already has shattered the single-season earnings record, with $5.62 million, and still has one more tournament -- the following week's American Express Championship in Valderrama, Spain -- to add to his victory and money totals. ''I haven't seen anybody have a year like this since I've been out here,'' said Love, a 14-year Tour veteran. ''Nick Price was the closest; then you'd have to go back to Jack Nicklaus. I said the couple of years [Woods] was here that he was not even close to how good he could get. We are starting to see that now. He is clearly head and shoulders above the rest of us.'' Said Phil Mickelson: ''It's staggering, statistically, what he's done in the last 10 events. It's something that's almost unheard of. His play has been unbeatable. What I have a hard time believing is what a high level he's playing because, normally, out of all the guys in the field, a couple get hot. But it's been Tiger every week, and that's been amazing.'' For one moment on Thursday afternoon, however, Woods looked mortal. Playing the 411-yard, par-4 15th hole, Woods's wayward tee shot lodged flush against a grapefruit-sized rock. Woods, who was battling Love for the lead at the time, chose not to take a penalty stroke and instead tried to hit the rock, which he hoped would advance the ball into the fairway. It didn't work. The ball remained in the rough, and Woods suffered a stinger in his left wrist, arm and shoulder that caused him to wince on every shot for the remainder of his round. Friday's day off, however, allowed the injury to heal, and when play resumed on the weekend Woods seized control of the tournament. He played Saturday's 27 holes in 7-under par to go to 13-under for the tournament and four strokes clear of Chris Perry. On Sunday Woods's lead never fell below two strokes. ''To accomplish what I've accomplished since May, I think that in itself speaks volumes,'' Woods said. ''I've been on a great run.'' It may get even greater.
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