Woods wins Match Play to become first golfer to win $40-million and 40 tournaments.
By Associated Press
Published March 1, 2004
CARLSBAD, Calif. - Once again, match play was child's play for Tiger Woods, who won the Match Play Championship for the second straight year and earned his 40th PGA Tour victory.
Only seven players have won more than Woods, but none has made more money, a bankroll that Woods added to Sunday when he carted off $1.2-million thanks to his 3-and-2 victory over Davis Love at La Costa.
It was only a matter of time until it happened, but Woods also launched himself into exclusive new territory, golf's 40-40 club: $40-million (he has won $41.5-million) and 40 victories.
In fact, it's so exclusive that Woods is its only member.
"Nice club," he said.
Woods is the fastest player to reach 40 victories - in 149 events - breaking Jack Nicklaus' record of 221 tournaments.
What's more, Woods' winner's check in the $7-million tournament moved him from 18th to third on the money list with $1.731-million, behind Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson.
He ended the match on the 34th hole when he rolled in a 3-foot putt for par. Love, who held a 1-up lead after the first 18 holes, won none of the final 17. He blamed not only his putting but his failure to take greater advantage of Woods' problems finding the fairway in the morning's 18-hole session.
"Obviously, at the turn, he went out there and figured out how to hit fairways," Love said.
What Woods figured out after hitting a few balls on the range during the break was his body wasn't in the proper alignment in his swing. He said he went back to basics in a little talk with himself on the range.
"Get your posture right, grip right, and let's just hit a few shots and see what happens," he said. "Let's get everything lined up and who cares where the ball goes on the range. Let's get comfortable first. I started seeing some results. I could actually put the club in the right position on the way down. All of a sudden, my speed came back."
And just like that, Woods took off in a hurry.
He started the 19th hole with a 12-foot, par-saving putt, then squared the match when Love bogeyed the next hole, a par 3.
Two holes later, Woods took his first lead when he made a 12-foot putt for birdie and never looked back. Woods went 2-up after 26 holes when he birdied the par-5 eighth, knocking an 8-iron to 4 feet and rolling in the putt.
Woods needed only 45 putts in 34 holes and didn't have a single three-putt.
"He's tough to beat once he gets ahead," said Love, who had trouble finding the pace of the greens after they were mowed between rounds and had one birdie on six par-5 holes.
In this match-play event, Woods has proven difficult to beat. He is 20-3, has won it back to back and won 12 consecutive matches. It was his eighth victory in World Golf Championship events, which began in 1999. Woods has won eight of the 14 he has played and four of the past five.
And today marks the beginning of Woods' 238th week at No. 1 in the rankings.
Woods was asked if he thought he had made some kind of statement.
"I don't know about a statement," he said. "I'm playing solid golf. I've had top 10s in every tournament I've played this year, so I'm positive about that.
"My whole goal is to basically prepare and get ready for the Masters."
Sorenstam wins opener
GOLD COAST, Australia - Annika Sorenstam, playing in her first tournament of the year, finished with consecutive 65s to win the ANZ Ladies Masters by four strokes on the women's European tour. Sorenstam finished 19-under 269 in winning the tournament for the third time. She also took the top prize in 1995 and 2002. Second-round leader Karen Stupples of England, who trailed Sorenstam by a shot coming in, was second after shooting 68.
PGA TOUR: Heath Slocum won the showdown between two tour nonwinners, parring the 18th for a one-shot victory over Aaron Baddeley at the Chrysler Classic in Tucson, Ariz. The 30-year-old Slocum shot 7-under 65 for a total of 22-under 266 - the lowest since 1988 when David Frost won at Tucson National with the same total. Slocum earned his first title in 78 starts when the 22-year-old Baddeley three-putted the 18th, missing a 5-foot par that would have forced a playoff.
NATIONWIDE TOUR: Australian Gavin Coles sank an 80-foot putt on the final hole to finish with 4-under 68 to win the New Zealand PGA championship by three strokes in Christchurch.
