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Drought over Woods wins NEC Invitational on 7th playoff hole
Updated: Monday August 27, 2001 8:08 AM
AKRON, Ohio (AP) -- Tiger Woods tapped in his 2-foot birdie putt on the seventh playoff hole Sunday and raised both fists over his shoulders like a heavyweight champion, a fitting pose after such an epic battle. He and Jim Fuyrk traded heroic 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 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 2 feet for a birdie putt to win the NEC Invitational 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 to save par on the first extra hole 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 great 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."
A pressure-packed playoff that lasted two hours ended in a conventional manner -- a wedge from Woods into 2 feet for his first victory since the Memorial Tournament in early June that ended talk about what's wrong with his game. He had gone five consecutive tournaments out of the top 10, the longest stretch of his career. His victory 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 fifth time this year and 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 successive 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 Monday. The ending was vaguely familiar. A year ago, he hit a wedge to about the same distance in the dark to win the NEC Invitational 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 1-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 ever 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 4 feet, calmly made his par and they headed over to No. 17. Tiger's turn.
After hitting long into the green, his ball nestled between the first cut and thick rough, he chipped 15 feet past the hole -- Furyk had 12 feet for birdie. Woods' par putt was true and Furyk's putt for the victory caught the right lip. The 18th provided another unlikely par when Woods hooked his tee shot into the trees. He had little chance to get it back in the fairway, but was given relief because the scoreboard was between his ball and the flag. Then, he played a beautiful bump-and-run to 4 feet and made par after Furyk missed another 12-foot birdie putt. Back and forth they went, chased by a gallery that couldn't get enough. Firestone was hardly a pushover in the final round, even with tee times moved up five hours to avoid approaching storms. Only six of 37 players broke par. Greg Norman, the co-leader after the first round, had an 80. It took Woods 13 holes to catch Furyk, and that's where the fireworks began. After Furyk chipped over the ridge to 6 feet on No. 13, Woods holed an 18-foot birdie putt. He pumped his fist, the first emotion he had shown all day, and took the lead with a two-shot swing when Furyk's putt slid by on the right. Furyk refused to buckle, and two holes later, he returned the favor. Woods left his 50-foot birdie putt from the fringe about 6 feet short, and Furyk made his 12-footer -- clutching his fist, pausing to make sure it was going in. Woods pulled his par putt, and Furyk had the lead again. Both laid up on the 625-yard 16th. Woods, hitting first, spun the ball back to 8 feet as the gallery roared with anticipation. The cheers were even louder for Furyk, perceived as the underdog throughout the day, when his wedge stopped 2 inches away from Woods. But Furyk's birdie putt slid by on right, Woods was right in the heart and the stage was set for a dramatic conclusion. "We both gave it absolutely everything we had," Woods said.
It required no less.
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