AFP afpji

Ogilvy wins by one at Doral to snap Tiger's win streak

Mon 24 Mar, 04:29 PM


MIAMI (AFP) - Australian Geoff Ogilvy parred his final nine holes on Monday, including a crucial chip-in at the 13th, to win the World Golf Championships CA Championship and end Tiger Woods' seven tournament win streak.

Darkness halted Sunday's storm-interrupted final round with Ogilvy needing to finish the back nine and Woods five off the pace with seven to play. While several rivals made it close, none could deny the 2006 US Open winner the win.

"We've got the golf sorted out. It's all good now," 30-year-old Ogilvy said.

Ogilvy's final-round one-under par 71, including two birdies and a bogey on the front nine on Sunday, left him on 17-under par 271, one stroke ahead of Fiji's Vijay Singh, South African Retief Goosen and American Jim Furyk.

World number one Woods, who like the runner-up trio fired a final-round 68, settled for fifth on 273 with England's Graeme Storm, Aussie Nick O'Hern and American Steve Stricker next on 275.

Woods saw the end of his seven-event worldwide win streak and his US PGA win streak of five. He had also won the past three years at Doral and the past three World Golf Championship events in a row.

"I made too many mistakes. I had four 3-putts this week," Woods said. "All in all, to only finish two back with all of that was a great sign."

It was the first event Woods has played without winning since a second-place effort last September in Boston at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

The pivotal moment for Ogilvy came at the par-3 13th when he botched his first chip and hammered his par chip directly into the hole. Had he missed, a bogey or worse awaited. Instead, he won the eight million-dollar event.

"That (ball) was moving," Ogilvy said. "It was a funny lie. I flubbed the first one. I don't normally practice those. But I got the second one. That's why you have to keep it on line."

Ogilvy's chip-in kept him two strokes ahead of Singh and Goosen and three better than Woods.

Ogilvy had made only one bogey in his past 80 holes at Doral and the Aussie's consistency allowed him to approach the 18th green with a one-stroke lead on Furyk and Goosen in the clubhouse and playing partner Singh.

Singh began the morning with a birdie at the 10th, fell back with bogeys at 13 and 14 but birdied the 16th and 17th to pull within a stroke of Ogilvy as they reached the 18th tee.

As a a slight drizzle began, Singh fired his approach into the short rough left of the green with a sinkable birdie chip to pull level. Ogilvy followed by reaching the green and leaving his birdie putt a foot short of the hole.

Singh followed with a chip just inches short of the cup and each man tapped in to conclude the morning drama.

Ogilvy became only the third man to win more than one World Golf event, matching Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke at two while Woods has 15.

Woods will take two weeks off before trying to win his 14th major title at the Masters as he chases the all-time record of 18 by Jack Nicklaus. He could also move past Ben Hogan to third-place alone on the all-time win list.

"You want to win all of them," Woods said. "I just have to get ready for the next one."

Woods, who would have had to match a career-best last round victory rally of five strokes to extend his win streaks, made four birdies and three bogeys on the front nine on Sunday and began Monday morning with a birdie at the 12th.

A birdie at the 15th pulled Woods within three of the lead but a blast just past a bunker into the greenside rough at the par-4 16th led only to par.

"If it's in the bunker it's a hard shot but really not that bad," Woods said.

Woods birdied the 17th to pull within two of the lead but needed a birdie at the 18th as well.

Woods attacked the hole ranked hardest on the tour last season, one he had not birdied since round two in 2006 despite his past triumphs here, and settled for par to finish a round of 68 to stand on 13-under 273.

But Ogilvy was two ahead of Woods with two to play and Goosen and Furyk were one shot better with one to play. When both parred the 18th as well to reach the clubhouse on 272, Woods' win streak was officially over.

Goosen, who managed his first top-10 finish since last year's Masters, birdied 14 and sank a 15-foot birdie putt at the 16th to move within one of Ogilvy but just missed a 40-foot birdie bid at the 18th.

Furyk birdied the 15th and 17th to pull within a stroke as well but his par left him one back as well.