Tiger Woods overcame some shaky putting Sunday by making the one that mattered. Woods rolled in an 18-foot birdie putt that broke sharply into the right side of the cup, then escaped with par from the trees on the 18th hole for a 1-under 71 and a one-shot victory over Chris DiMarco in the NEC Invitational.
Woods made it seven consecutive years with at least one World Golf Championship title since the series began in 1999, and he has won nine of the 18 WGC events he has played.
Despite his dominance at Firestone _ four victories in his last six trips _ this one required the most work.
Woods missed five putts inside 8 feet and trailed Kenny Perry by two shots when they made the turn. Even the birdie putt that finally gave him the lead required an approach from 189 yards over the water. It wasn't over until he pitched through the trees and onto the 18th green for a two-putt par from 20 feet.
"Let's just say I've had better days," Woods said with a smile when asked about his putting.
He finished at 6-under 274 and earned $1.3 million for his fifth victory of the year, one more than Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson, enough to end any debate about PGA Tour player of the year.
DiMarco, who lost to Woods in a playoff at the Masters, thought he might get another shot at him when he shot a 68 to finish at 275. Instead, he was forced to look back at a bogey on the 17th when he went after the flag and wound up in deep grass behind the green.
Playing four groups ahead of Woods, he had a 20-foot birdie on the 18th that grazed the edge of the cup. He watched Woods play the last three holes from the dining room.
"If you're hoping for him to make bogey, you didn't do what you needed to do out there," DiMarco.
Paul McGinley, one of four players who had at least a share of the lead, fell out of contention with a bogey on the 17th and shot 72 to tie for third with Singh (67) and Ryan Palmer (69).
Perry bogeyed five of six holes and wound up tied for sixth after a 74.
It was the first time Woods won with a final round over par since he shot 2-over 72 to win the American Express Championship _ another WGC event _ two years ago outside Atlanta.
Blustery conditions contributed to that, although mostly it was his putter.
Woods only made the hard ones, including a 15-foot bender on the 10th hole for a two-shot lead that gave him a share of the lead with Perry. Then he missed an 8-footer for par on the 11th, and a 5-foot birdie putt on the 13th that would have given him the outright lead.
Woods walked to the next tee tapping his driver onto the cart path until he reached the grass, when he pounded the club into the ground. His mood changed when his birdie putt fell on the 16th.
He now has 45 career victories, moving past Walter Hagen into seventh on the all-time list. Twelve of those have come in three tournaments, with four victories apiece at the NEC Invitational, the Masters and the Bay Hill Invitational.
Woods improved to 34-3 when he has at least a share of the 54-hole lead.
But he almost blew it _ and DiMaro again was right there, waiting to seize the opportunity.
In contention for the first time since the Masters, DiMarco birdied three of his first six holes to get into the mix, but made too many mistakes down the stretch _ back-to-back bogeys on 12th and 13th, and missing the 17th green long, from where the best he could do was chip to 15 feet.
"Bridesmaid's getting old," he said. "Maybe this will be good for me. Maybe this will light a fire under me."
The 667-yard 16th hole proved pivotal for Woods twice on Sunday.
He and Perry had to return at 7:30 a.m. to finish the storm-delayed third round and wound up tied at 7-under 203. Perry missed a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th for a 64. Woods was between trees in the left rough on the 16th, pitched out and had 185 yards over the pond that guards the green. He hit into 20 feet for a par.
In the final round, he was deep in the trees right of the fairway, and could only punch out a shot that left him 189 yards to a tighter pin. Anything long is in deep grass with the green running away from him, anything short is wet. The shot covered the flag and landed softly, 18 feet behind the cup.
Divots
Bridgestone was formally introduced as the title sponsor of this World Golf Championship event for the next five years. PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said the Bridgestone Invitational will remain at Firestone through 2010. ... Stuart Appleby was assessed a two-shot penalty on the 13th hole when taking relief from a cart path. After taking his first drop, his caddie picked up the ball before it finished rolling. Already 2 over for the day, Appleby took double bogey on the hole and shot 74. ... Americans now have won 13 of the 18 World Golf Championships since they began in 1999. Woods has won nine of those.
Tiger Woods overcame some shaky putting Sunday by making the one that mattered. Woods rolled in an 18-foot birdie putt that broke sharply into the right side of the cup, then escaped with par from the trees on the 18th hole for a 1-under 71 and a one-shot victory over Chris DiMarco in the NEC Invitational.