Tiger shows no signs of slowing after tying Hogan

text size

Arnold Palmer Invitational: Results | Leaderboard | Tiger wins | All-time winners
Video: Woods' winning putt | Woods' post-round interview
Photos: Final round | Round 3 | Round 2 | Round 1 | Pro-Am

ORLANDO -- Right about now, Ben Hogan is getting an earful.

Cannon/WireImage

Tiger Woods of the USA celebrates with his caddie Steve Williams of New Zealand.

"Dad's probably giving him some stick," Tiger Woods said with a big grin, pondering the ensuing Cloud 19 conversation between Bantam Ben and his father, Earl, after the proceedings Sunday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard.

Of course he is.

Earl Woods' protégé and offspring continues to fulfill his immense potential and his father's grand visions in a way that leaves his competition in awe -- not to mention in arrears -- and all who witness it in increasing astonishment.

The latest chapter unfolded with eerie certainty and yet was breathtaking as Woods sank a 25-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole and captured his fifth straight PGA TOUR victory and fifth win at Palmer's Bay Hill Club. The achievement drew Woods into a third-place tie with Hogan on the PGA TOUR's all-time victory list with 64.

"To have 64 wins in this short of a span is a phenomenal feeling," said Woods, 32, who has played in 233 events over 12-plus seasons, including three this year, all resulting in wins. "It feels really, really good to put in the work and get that validation."

Only he would he know.

Woods tacked beautifully around Palmer's Bay Hill Club to submit a closing 4-under-par 66 and 10-under 270 total to put the hurt on Texas. Not only did he catch Hogan, but Woods also thwarted the upset bid of Lone Star State product Bart Bryant, whose 67 was wonderfully executed and woefully inadequate.

"I tried to put the pressure on him, making some pars down the stretch," Bryant said with shrug. "That's why he's Tiger Woods. He just has a way of pulling off the shot or the putt when he needs to."

The No. 1 player in the world did not begin the tournament throwing his best stuff at the competition. He was missing it both ways for two days and found himself seven strokes behind Vijay Singh after 36 holes. He managed to polish his action enough to eliminate one side on Saturday in carding a 66, and when the field came back to him, he was poised to eliminate everyone, given that he was sporting a 42-3 record when holding at least a share of the 54-hole lead.

"The Tiger we saw the last two days was pretty strong," Bryant said.

Last two days?

Bryant amended the statement. "It's a weird zone he's in ... he's been in it his whole life."

Indeed, so Bryant wasn't surprised - and neither was anyone else - when Woods stepped up to a 5-iron shot from 162 yards out on Bay Hill's treacherous 18th hole, made an aggressive swing to a conservative target, and put the ball 25 feet from the hole.

"Best swing of the week," Woods said.

Of course, he then made the putt. When it dropped, he tore off his hat and slammed it into the turf and let out a rebel yell that probably could be heard on Cloud 19. Woods was so wrapped up in the emotion that when his caddie, Steve Williams, retrieved the lid, Woods was puzzled how it had gotten off his head.

"I didn't know how it had come off," he admitted. "I need to see the highlights. I was so into the moment of the putt going in and winning the golf tournament."

This speaks to his focus. It is legendary. Couple this with confidence from a déjà-vu-all-over-again feeling, and you begin to understand how Woods almost never, ever fails to come through in the clutch.

"I can always draw upon the experiences I've had in the past," he said. "I've done it a lot of ways and in different ways and at different levels, and it's reassuring when you get in a situation where you have to hit the shots to win the tournament."

Asked if there was the slightest feeling of fear or trepidation, Woods appeared puzzled. To allow himself to feel even slightly fearful or unsure would allow doubt to creep in. How can you fail if you don't give it a thought?

Well, you don't fail.

"I have to say it's knowing that you have an opportunity to end the tournament and it's in your hands," he said. "It's not in anyone else's. Whether you do it or not remains to be seen, and it's like having the ball with a few seconds to go; do you want it or not want it. I would much rather have it in my hands than anyone else's."

Which is why, 64 times now, a trophy has ended up in his hands.

And Ben Hogan is getting an earful.