Woods Wins His Tournament With a Late Birdie

Tiger Woods, left, and Anthony Kim, right, wait to tee off on the second hole during the final round of the AT&T National golf tournament at Congressional Country Club, Sunday, July 5, 2009, in Bethesda, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

(AP)

One other coincidence: All three of his victories came in his final start before a major. Woods finished four shots behind in both the Masters and the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black two weeks ago. The next stop is the British Open in two weeks at Turnberry, on a links course Woods has never seen.

This victory was meaningful because it was his own, started three years ago. Inside the ropes, however, it felt like any other tournament that Woods was trying to win.

"You go out there with the same intensity to win," he said.

The 68th victory of his PGA Tour career moved him to the top of the money list and FedEx Cup standings for the first time this year.

Mahan made six birdies on the back nine for a 62, the final birdie giving him a share of the lead. He had to wait more than an hour to see if it would hold, going into the family dining area to watch alongside Woods' wife, Elin, and 2-year-old daughter Sam.

Woods missed a 10-foot putt on the 14th and Mahan said he jokingly cheered in a light moment.

But he knew better.

"I mean, he's pretty good," Mahan said. "He knows what he's doing. He knows how to play this game better than anybody."

Kim simply couldn't keep up.

It was the ideal final pairing at Congressional — the world's No. 1 player and tournament host tied with Kim, a confident 24-year-old who was the defending champion. Kim lost four shots in four holes on the front nine, and didn't make a birdie on the back nine.

He shot a 71 to finish alone in third, four shots behind.

"I had a lot of fun," Kim said. "I know I'll be knocking on the door again. It's only a matter of time. I learned if you have a birdie putt, you better make it."

Bryce Molder closed with a 68 to finish alone in fourth, which came with a $288,000 check that was worth more than money alone. It put him atop a special money list that ended Sunday, earning a trip to the British Open. The other spot from the money list went to Paul Goydos.