Tiger Woods can grind out wins, too.
With playing partners Bo Van Pelt blowing the penultimate hole and Brendon de Jonge melting away with a 77, Woods captured his AT&T National on Sunday for the second time.
And the crowd roared.
A day after fans were barred from Congressional Country Club because of unsafe conditions, they returned with the large following typical of Woods’ galleries. He was essentially locked into match play with Van Pelt over the final nine holes, and the crowd loved that Woods once more was controlling the day.
Woods raised his arms in triumph after the final shot — maybe somewhat in relief after four blistering days that undoubtedly made it the hottest tournament ever in the D.C. area. Perhaps it was out of sheer joy that he again was relevant on the tour as he passed Jack Nicklaus for second-most career wins with 74.
“I remember when there was a time when a lot of media people didn’t think I could ever win again,” Woods said. “It was just a matter of time.”
Woods showed he can win even when his putting isn’t perfect. Woods could have put away Van Pelt midway through the round had he not fallen inches short on the fourth, sixth and 11th holes. Maybe it finally forced him to play less conservatively. He finally hit a birdie putt on No. 15 to take the lead before Van Pelt matched him shortly afterward.
“We grinded. We competed. It was just a matter of making a key putt or a key up and down,” Woods said. “The golf course was playing like a major championship. I figured it would come down to the final five, six holes, and it ended up coming down to the final three holes.”
A final round 69 to finish the tournament 8 under sure seemed solid on an afternoon in which the unrelenting heat finally seemed to wilt competitors’ concentration on so many greens.
“[Woods] kept his rhythm for two days,” said Van Pelt, the runner-up. “He’s getting way more comfortable.”
Comfortable? Woods kept his stoic gaze until he sank the 25-foot birdie putt on No. 15 that brought a hint of a smile. Of course, he looked angry a hole later after his only bogey of the day.
Woods was all smiles on the 18th. The gallery rose in tribute, his competitor bogeyed in response to the pressure and Woods two-putted his way to another victory. It might not have been dramatic, but it still felt like a familiar toast to better times.
Pretty much everything is coming together, Woods said. His confidence secretly wavered in recent years as he recovered from surgery and changed his game. He learned that the sport might not always seem fair but that his fortunes would turn around if he kept at it.
“Some days are better than others,” Woods said. “We are all human. … Sometimes I don’t quite hit the ball well and not putt well and do everything right and not chip well. Welcome to golf. It’s a game that tests our patience.”
Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more on Twitter @Snide_Remarks or email [email protected].
