Woods Wins BMW Championship With 63

By Andrew Both, SportsTicker Special to NC Sports -

LEMONT, Illinois (Ticker) - Tiger Woods produced another flawless performance to earn a two-stroke victory at the $7 million BMW Championship on Sunday. Woods, who began the final round one stroke behind, carded eight birdies in a seemingly effortless 8-under-par 63 in ideal scoring conditions at Cog Hill, still soft after recent rains. He broke clear with four birdies in five holes on the back nine to match the course record and finish at 22-under 262. It is his sixth victory of the year, and the 60th of his career on the PGA Tour, just two less than the great Arnold Palmer.

Woods also went to the top of the standings in the new FedEx Cup playoff series, which concludes with the Tour Championship next week. The winner of the FedEx Cup playoffs will earn a $10 million bonus. Australian Aaron Baddeley, who led Woods by one stroke with seven holes remaining, shot 66 for second place at 20-under 264. American Steve Stricker (68) was two shots further back in third. Justin Rose, who played the final round with Woods, had a decent day, carding a 68, but he was never in the hunt after starting five shots back, finishing tied for fifth. Still, Rose is the only British player to advance to the 30-man Tour Championship, with Luke Donald and Ian Poulter eliminated, Donald by the smallest of margins. He finished 31st on the points list, one spot behind Irishman Padraig Harrington, who held on to qualify for a trip to Atlanta, despite taking this week off. Donald, who started the BMW in 28th place, gave himself a chance with a closing 65, but it turned out to be too little, too late.

Woods, meanwhile, picked up four birdies on the front nine, but could not break clear of Stricker and Baddeley, all three making the turn locked at 18-under. It seemed for a long time that nobody on the leaderboard could miss from inside 15 feet, as all three leaders reeled off a hat-trick of birdies at the seventh, eighth and ninth holes. Woods fell one behind when Baddeley birdied the par-5 11th, but Woods then took control in emphatic fashion. He sank a 50-foot monster at the par-3 12th, and also birdied the par-4 13th, the par-5 15th and par-4 16th, before parring the final two holes. The big loser was Phil Mickelson, who took the week off, dropping from first to third on the points list, behind Woods and Stricker, setting the scene for a great battle for the $10 million bonus.

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