Woods survives playoff to win at Torrey
(AP)
Updated: 2006-01-30 10:02

A new decade for Tiger Woods looks a lot like the last one — making clutch putts, letting his opponents break down and hoisting the trophy at a golf course that feels as if it's home.

Tiger Woods pumps his fist after making a birdie putt on the final hole of regulation to qualify for a playoff at the Buick Invitational golf tournament Sunday Jan. 29, 2006 in San Diego. Woods won on the second playoff hole when Jose Maria Olazabal missed a two foot putt. [AP]

Woods holed an 8-foot birdie on the 18th hole Sunday to get into a three-way playoff, then won the Buick Invitational with simple pars as Australian rookie Nathan Green and two-time Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal made crucial mistakes.

Olazabal played a splendid bunker shot on the par-3 16th on the second extra hole at Torrey Pines, then missed a 4-foot par putt to hand Woods a victory that was only easy at the end.

"It's not how you want to win," Woods said. "I had a chance to make birdie on 18 in the playoff and end it right there. You don't ever take joy out of seeing friends do that."

For Woods, it was the fourth time in 10 years that he won in his first PGA Tour event of the year, and he became the first four-time winner at the Buick Invitational on a course he played regularly as a kid.

The finish was reminiscent of the American Express Championship last October at Harding Park, where John Daly lost on the second extra hole by missing a 3-foot putt to give Woods the victory.

Just like then, Woods bowed his head and slowly walked over to shake hands.

It was a somber way to end a dynamic afternoon along the bluffs of the Pacific Ocean, where 12 players had a share of the lead at one point and there was an eight-way tie with six holes to play.

Woods, who three-putted three times in his final round of even-par 72, finally made the one that mattered on the final hole of regulation en route to his 47th tour victory.

"Of all the things that happened today, I said, 'At least you have a chance.' I shouldn't have had that opportunity," Woods said of his birdie on the 72nd hole. "I flipped it around, turned it into a positive situation. It felt good coming off the putter and found its way to the bottom."

Woods turned 30 at the end of the year and is starting his 10th full season on tour, and this was an ideal place for him to get going. This is the fourth tournament he has won at least four times, the others coming at Augusta National, Firestone and Bay Hill.

Green did all he could to pull off an improbable victory in only his second PGA Tour start.

The 30-year-old rookie from Australia, who once worked in a crematorium managed by his parents, shot into the lead by holing a wedge for eagle from 77 yards on the 13th hole, held on for dear life and got into the playoff by making a 7-foot birdie putt on the 18th.

But he didn't last long.

The only player to hit the fairway on No. 18 in the playoff, his 3-wood went into the grandstand. After taking a free drop, his pitch didn't reach the green and he chunked the next one, moving it only inches and making bogey.

That sent Woods and Olazabal to the 16th, and the 39-year-old Spaniard appeared to escape trouble with a magnificent bunker shot that hopped into the first cut, then the fringe, then trickled downhill toward the cup. He had 4 feet to head to the next hole, but started walking in disgust as soon as the ball left his club.

Olazabal, whose last victory came four years ago at Torrey Pines, was the first to finish at 10-under 278 by two-putting for birdie on the 18th for a 69.

Green, who briefly had a two-shot lead after his eagle on No. 13, had five consecutive putts in the 8-foot range, all for par except the last one, which gave him a 72 and put him in the playoff.

"There's nothing to be disappointed about," Green said. "I've been an overachiever for the week."

Woods was one shot behind when he hit 5-wood into 75 feet on the 18th, only to see his eagle putt run too fast through the break, 8 feet by the cup. It was the longest putt he made all day.

He had a putt from about the same distance on No. 18 on the first playoff hole, but pulled it badly.

Two players were inches away from joining them in the playoff.

Lucas Glover had a 65-foot eagle putt on the 18th that was headed for the center of the cup, but stopped just short. In the same group, Arjun Atwal left himself a 5-footer for birdie, but he pushed it right of the cup.

Woods skipped the season-opening Mercedes Championships, and for those who didn't think the PGA Tour began until he showed up, the No. 1 player was part of a terrific show.

When he holed an 8-foot birdie on the 12th to reach 9 under, eight players were tied for the lead. Anyone could have won. Every shot mattered.

John Rollins came out of nowhere by holing a wedge from 119 yards for eagle on the 10th, and making a 60-foot birdie putt on the 14th. Phil Mickelson looked like a winner with one of those majestic flop shots on the 11th that cleared the bunker by a foot and set up an unlikely par save.

Lefty looked like a prophet over the final five holes. He had said his game was rounding into form, with putting the final piece for it all to come together. Sure enough, he missed par putts of 5, 6 and 5 feet on three straight holes to fall out of contention, closing with a 73.

Jonathan Kaye birdied his last five holes to post at 9 under, and wasn't free to leave Torrey Pines until Olazabal coaxed his eagle putt within 2 feet for a birdie on the 18th.

It was the second time in three years that the winner failed to break par in the final round on the South Course, which played at 7,630 yards on Sunday and will host the U.S. Open in two years.

But if such a demanding course was meant to separate those at the top of their games, instead it created a leaderboard so jumbled throughout the final round that a dozen players could have won.

Sergio Garcia, playing in the final group with Woods for the first time since the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage, hit into five bunkers and a beer tent on his first eight holes and went out in 40. He hung around to the final hole, needing an eagle to get into the playoff, but three-putted for par and a 75.

Rod Pampling, tied with Garcia for the lead after 54 holes, shot a 76 to finish three shots out of the playoff.