Mar 16, 2008 6:23 pm US/Eastern
Birdie On 18 Gives Tiger 5th Straight PGA Win
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) ―
Tiger Woods made a 25-foot birdie putt on the final hole Sunday to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational by one shot, extending his PGA Tour winning streak to five and keeping intact a perfect season in golf.
In his biggest challenge since this streak began seven months ago, Woods outlasted 45-year-old Bart Bryant and won with a birdie putt on the final hole for the first time in seven years. He turned and slammed his cap to the ground, letting out a roar to celebrate his 64th career victory, tying Ben Hogan at No. 3 on the PGA Tour's career list.
Palmer stood behind the 18th green with thousands of sun-baked fans who have come to expect nothing less from Woods. The King smiled and nodded his head, a royal approval of a captivating conclusion at Bay Hill.
Woods closed with a 6-under 66 and won Bay Hill for the fifth time in his career, becoming the first player in PGA Tour history to win four tournaments at least five times.
Next up is the CA Championship at Doral, which he has won six times. No wonder some are starting to question whether he will lose again.
Bryant felt hopeless, no different from so many other victims of Woods.
He hit all the right shots on the back nine to keep pressure on the world's No. 1 player, and was sitting in the scoring trailer when the largest crowd in golf this year erupted in cheers when the birdie putt fell.
"That's why he's Tiger Woods," Bryant said. "He has an incredible way of pulling off the shot or the putt when he needs to. He's done it before. He'll do it again."
Not since Bay Hill in 2001 has Woods won a PGA Tour event with a birdie on the 72nd hole to win by a shot.
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