Love fights Woods, weather to win 2nd World Challenge
By Wire services
Published December 15, 2003
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - Davis Love had a seven-shot lead that looked unbeatable until a couple of par putts lipped out and turned everything around.
"I felt like I was letting someone back into the tournament," Love said Sunday. "I just didn't know who it was."
He should have known.
Tiger Woods, 10 back with 10 holes to play, unleashed six birdies in seven holes to cut the lead to one and made the rain that dripped off Love's cap feel more like sweat.
Love pulled himself together with a 45-foot birdie on the 16th and finished with a two-shot victory in the Target World Challenge. He closed with par 72 on a chilly, mostly rainy day and earned $1.2-million, the biggest check of his career. Woods made him earn every penny.
"It was fun competing, rather than to have a six- or seven-shot lead and hanging on," Love said. "Tiger proved even if he's not playing good, in crunch time he can shoot the best round of the week in the worst conditions."
"I thought a 65 was realistic, but not to win," Woods said. "When I saw Davis at 13 under, I figured if I shot 29 on the back that would put me at 11 under, and at least I would make him work for it."
It wasn't over until Love splashed out of the bunker to 3 feet for par on the final hole. He finished 11-under 277.
"When he birdied five holes in a row, I knew the game was on," Love said. "And I had to play hard."
He finally got some breathing room with his birdie on No.16. Love's biggest check had been $1.17-million at the Players Championship, one of his four PGA Tour victories this year. This one doesn't count in the record books, but still was meaningful.
Love won against a world-class field that featured the top 12 players available from the world ranking and four sponsor's exemptions - two of them major champions.
He became the first repeat winner since Woods created the tournament five years ago. Love also won in 2000.
It was a familiar ending for Woods. A year ago, he was six behind Padraig Harrington and closed within one before bogey on the final hole to finish two shots behind.
On Sunday, Woods earned $700,000, which he donated to his Tiger Woods Foundation.
Harrington (71) finished third at 282. Masters champion Mike Weir (72) and Justin Leonard (71) were at 284.
AUSTRALIAN PGA: Peter Senior won his first tour title since 1997, escaping with a one-stroke win over Rod Pampling (69) in Coolum after bogeying the final two holes. Senior, who entered with a five-stroke lead, closed with 1-over 73 for 17-under 271. He also won the Australian PGA in 1989. Greg Norman (75), with tennis star Lleyton Hewitt working as caddie, finished 6 under.
"We had a great week," Norman said. "I think it was as memorable for Lleyton as it was for me. Irrespective of how I played, he had a great time and I'm glad we could do it."
Hewitt, a former U.S. Open and Wimbledon champion, said working with Norman was "one of the best experiences of my life."
VOLVO MASTERS OF ASIA: Thongchai Jaidee won by a stroke in Bangkok, Thailand, after shooting 6-under 65. He finished 19-under 265 to edge Lin Keng-chi (67), who entered tied for the lead with American Ted Purdy. Purdy faded with 74 and finished eight strokes back to tie for seventh.
Thongchai arrived from the United States one day before the tournament after an unsuccessful effort at the PGA Tour qualifying school in Florida. This was his fourth Asian PGA Tour victory.
