WOODSTOCK, Ga. - Against the best players in the world in the American Express Championship, Tiger Woods felt right at home.
With three clutch pars on the grueling back nine, Woods won his seventh World Golf Championship in 13 tries, closing with 2-over 72 - the fourth time in 39 victories on the PGA Tour he won with a final round over par - for a two-shot victory over Vijay Singh, Tim Herron and Stuart Appleby.
"Any time you get to play against the best players ... that's when it's the most challenging," Woods said. "It's not a watered-down field. That's what makes it so difficult to try to win these tournaments."
It was his fifth win of the year, and it might be enough for his peers to vote Woods PGA Tour player of the year an unprecedented fifth straight time.
"To win against this field, on this golf course with a major-type setup, it will have a lot of weight to it," David Toms said after 65 left him fifth.
Woods finished 6-under 274, the third-highest winning score this year behind the British Open (1-under 283) and PGA Championship (4-under 276).
Singh and Herron kept Woods in range, poised to make a move if he faltered. Woods hit a delicate flop shot to 4 feet to save par on No. 10, but the key might have been the par-3 13th.
His tee shot went over the green, and he hit a bump shot into the hill that trickled 7 feet past the hole. He made the putt to keep his two-shot lead over Herron.
Leading by three on the 16th, Woods' approach from deep rough shot through a bunker and forced him to stand in the sand. Woods chipped to 10 feet, then saved par. He closed with two bogeys, but by then it didn't matter.
Singh, who has played eight more times than Woods, squandered opportunities from the fairway on Nos. 9 and 10, and closed with 72. Appleby had 68, and Herron failed to make par over the final five holes for 71.
Woods won $1.05-million to replace Singh atop the money list by about $170,000. But the only thing he was willing to celebrate Sunday was the 100th victory for his caddie, Steve Williams, who previously carried for Peter Thomson, Greg Norman and Raymond Floyd.
"People have no idea how big this win was," Woods said. "It's not just the player of the year or the money title, it was Stevie's 100th win. He's meant a lot to a lot of the success I've had."
Woods went over $6-million a third straight year and became the first in PGA history to win at least five tournaments for five straight years. Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson won four times over five consecutive seasons.
Huston rallies to victory
MADISON, Miss. - Clearwater's John Huston walked to the tee on No. 15, having lost the lead he held for most of the PGA Southern Farm Bureau Classic.
"Standing on the 15th tee I was thinking, "I've had a lot of disappointments. It would be nice to have one go the other way,' " the 42-year-old said.
It did. Huston erased a two-stroke deficit over his final four holes and shot 68 to win by one over Brenden Pappas (10-under 62). Pappas started the final round seven behind Huston.
"When I woke up this morning I told my wife, if I shoot a 10 under the chances are I'll probably finish second," Pappas said. "It wasn't a prediction, just a statement. It turned out to be right on the button."
Huston, showing the poise of a 15-year tour veteran, birdied Nos. 15, 16 and 17 to retake the lead and finished 20-under 268.
With his seventh career victory, and first in three years, Huston became the 11th player 40 or older to win on tour this season.
LONGS DRUGS CHALLENGE: Helen Alfredsson shot 2-under 70 in the LPGA event in Lincoln, Calif., for her first victory since 1998 after Pat Hurst's double bogey on the final hole. Alfredsson saved par on the 18th to finish 13-under 275 and defeat Hurst, Grace Park, Rachel Teske, Se Ri Pak and Yong Yeon Lee by one.
"When you haven't been playing well, you want it so much," said Alfredsson, whose best finish in 17 tournaments this year was 11th. "If this is a dream, don't wake me up."
Park shot 69; Hurst, Teske, Pak and Lee shot 70.
MONTEREY PENINSULA CLASSIC: Scott Gutschewski won his first Nationwide Tour title in Seaside, Calif., by four strokes. The 26-year-old ex-Nebraska player had a tournament-record 12-under 276 and earned a spot in the PGA Tour's 2004 Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. He moved to 23rd on the money list with four events left. The top 20 at the end of the season earn PGA Tour cards.
FLORIDA MID AMATEUR: Ryan Konkus of Hobe Sound won his final match on No. 18 in Tampa, defeating Peter Dachisen of Wesley Chapel 1-up. Konkus saved par on the 18th; Dachisen missed a chip-in for birdie.
