TOKYO: Tiger Woods held off the challenge of home favourite Hideki Matsuyama to win the weather-delayed Zozo Championship by three shots and make golfing history Monday.The 15-time major winner Woods finished 19-under par to equal US legend Sam Snead´s all-time record of 82 US PGA Tour victories set 54 years ago.Woods, in his first outing since arthroscopic knee surgery two months ago, broke into a huge smile after he safely got up and down from a greenside bunker at the 18th for a birdie and three-under final round of 67.The inaugural US PGA Tour event in Japan had seen Friday´s play washed out by the fringes of a typhoon that dumped almost 10 inches of rain on the course 50 miles (80km) from Tokyo, forcing play into an extra day.World number two Rory McIlroy finished birdie-birdie for a 67 and a share of third place on 13-under par with South Korea´s PGA Tour Rookie of the Year Im Sung-jae who carded a fine five-under 65.Woods resumed his final round, suspended due to darkness on Sunday, at 7.30am on the long par-12th at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club but saw his overnight three-shot cushion over Hideki Matsuyama immediately cut to two.The 15-time major winner missed the green with his approach and fell back to 17-under par.The damage could have been worse, but Matsuyama underhit his 20-foot birdie putt on the short 13th and remained at 15-under.Woods´s early-morning putter was cold, and on the short 13th he failed to take advantage of a precision tee shot to six feet.Up ahead on the 14th green, Matsuyama inexplicably spurned a golden opportunity to reduce the deficit to one as he missed a four-foot birdie putt after a wonderful pitch shot.Woods was faced with a similar line of putt as Matsuyama on 14, but from 20 feet further away. He did not miss, and restored his three-shot advantage with four holes remaining.Woods missed another birdie chance, from 10 feet, at the 15th and was watching from the 16th tee 181 yards away as Matsuyama walked in a 20-footer for his first birdie of the day to get to 16-under.Woods found the green safely but his putt from 25 feet never threatened the hole leaving him two ahead with two to play.Matsuyama crushed a drive down the middle of the 491-yard 17th and found the putting surface with his approach.Woods, a group behind, followed with a smooth drive into the heart of the fairway.Matsuyama´s fine attempt to hole the putt slid by on the left and he stayed two adrift with only the par-five 18th to rescue his challenge.Woods found the heart of the green with his approach to 17 and two-putted safely for par.Matsuyama found the sand twice on the 18th.Needing to get up and down to have any chance, Matsuyama´s bunker shot flew to the back of the putting surface and his brave challenge was over as he finished 16-under with a final round 67.
from The News International - Sports https://ift.tt/2MSFvoC
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