AP
Tiger and Padraig Harrington shared a see-saw, match-play battle Sunday.
AKRON, Ohio -- No golfer in history has recorded 70 PGA Tour victories faster than Tiger Woods.
That was assured Sunday at hot, humid and breezy Firestone Country Club, where the 33-year-old overtook Padraig Harrington to capture his seventh World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational. Sam Snead (82 wins) was 41 when he recorded his 70th win, and Jack Nicklaus (73) was 40.
Woods' triumph was his second straight and fifth of the year in only 12 starts. He finished with a 12-under-par score of 268, four better than Harrington and Robert Allenby.
The top-ranked Woods has now won a mind-blowing 16 of 30 WGC starts and has cracked the top 10 27 times, earning $21.8 million. For perspective, that would rank 17th on the PGA Tour's career money list.
Woods also became the first player in PGA Tour history to win on the same course seven times.
It wasn't easy. Trailing Harrington by three strokes entering the final round, Woods matched the low-90s temperature with a sizzling start, lost it on the back nine, then finished strong to complete his third final-round, come-from-behind victory of 2009.
"It was just a great battle," Woods said. "We locked horns. I made a couple mistakes there, and Paddy was just being consistent, grinding it out, doing all the things he needed to do. And unfortunately, 16 happened."
Harrington held a one-shot advantage over Woods heading to the par-5 16th, where both hit poor tee shots into the rough. Woods punched back safely into the fairway, while Harrington remained in the long grass. Then Woods seized the moment.
With water guarding the front pin placement, Woods electrified the crowd by hitting a towering 8-iron from 178 yards that spun back less than a foot from the hole for a tap-in birdie.
"I had the 7-iron out early, and then the wind switched and went almost straight down," he said. "So I figured it was a full 8-iron and don't draw it, make sure and use the wind a little bit to get it there. When I hit it, I knew it was going to be a good one. I thought it was going to be just a little bit past the hole. I was surprised it spun that much considering it was that much downwind."
Harrington hit his third shot over the green then semi-skulled a flop shot from thick rough into the water and departed with an eight, Woods suddenly possessing a commanding three-stroke cushion.
"I don't know if you guys know it or not, but we got put on the clock," said Woods of a slow-play warning. "I don't think Paddy would have hit that shot that way if he was able to take his time, look at it, analyze it, but he was on the clock, had to get up there quickly and hit it."
Harrington admitted he rushed the shot. However, he was also trying to win the tournament.
"There was no other choice," he said. "If I could have played a pitch and run, I would have gladly, but there was no other choice. You've got to swing out and hit it. I certainly was not going to back off and not try to get it up-and-down."
Woods still doesn't understand why they were put on the clock.
"I don't know why we were put on the clock considering that he ended up taking a penalty drop from all the way on the other side of the lake. Coming back, we hit our tee shots on 17, and the guys [ahead] were just walking off the tee on 18," Woods said. "So I don't know."
Playing in the last twosome, Woods nearly birdied the par-4 first hole but made up for it at the par-5 second. After a big drive, he flushed a 5-wood from 233 yards 18 feet below the cup and buried the eagle putt.
Now trailing the 37-year-old Irishman by one, Woods gave himself another good birdie chance at the par-4 third but pulled a 10-foot putt. He didn't miss at the par-4 fourth, where he hit an 8-iron from 157 yards 13 feet to the right of the cup and sunk the birdie putt to tie Harrington at 10-under.
At the 206-yard, par-3 fifth, Woods hit a 7-iron 27 feet below the hole and drained the uphill birdie putt to take his first lead of the tournament. He parred the sixth, seventh and eighth holes, lipping out an 11-footer for birdie at No. 7, then birdied the par-4 ninth.
At the latter, he muscled a 9-iron from 173 yards out of the heavy right rough to within seven feet of the hole and converted to make the turn in 5-under 30, two shots ahead of Harrington.
"I just knew that I had to get off to a quick start somehow, and I was able to do that," said Woods. "Fortunately, I was able to keep it going and post a good front-nine number."
The back nine was a match-play duel, with neither player blinking until 16. Harrington closed within a stroke with his first birdie of the day at the par-4 11th. Woods retained the lead with a nice save at the par-3 12th where he missed his first green of the day, left his chip five feet short, but holed the putt.
A poor drive into the right rough led to a bogey at the par-4 13th for Woods, his first in 22 holes. He hit his second shot long, chipped 13 feet short and missed the putt, Harrington pulling even at 11-under with a par.
At the par-4 14th, Woods drove into the left fairway bunker, then missed the green to the right, resulting in an awkward stance and lie. With little green to work with, Woods hit his third shot into a bunker and did well getting up-and-down for a bogey, sinking a clutch five-foot putt. Harrington made a scrambling par to regain the lead at 11-under.
Both players parred 15, setting the stage for the huge turnaround at 16. Woods almost birdied 17 then finished in style, stuffing a pitching wedge five feet and drilling home the birdie putt at 18.
"It was a great battle," said Harrington, who didn't make worse than a par until the 16th hole. "I was thoroughly enjoying it all the way through. I'd obviously prefer if he didn't start as well, but I'd prefer the other player play well and me to play badly at the start if you're going to make up the shots. You can't argue."
Woods, who won last week's Buick Open, saved his best for the weekend with matching 65s. He carded 11 birdies and an eagle and wound up tying for second in greens in regulation at 70 percent.
"I think my 65-61 here is not too bad, either," said Woods. "But, considering how the golf course was playing, it was playing a little bit trickier on the weekend, and I was able to get into some hot little stretches there, some good little streaks, and take advantage of it."
For the second consecutive week, he putted beautifully. After using 23 putts Saturday, he had 28 Sunday.
Woods won't have long to savor his win. He starts preparation for the 91st PGA Championship on Monday at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn., where he seeks his fifth title. Harrington won last year's tournament at Oakland Hills Country Club and will play with Woods the first two rounds.
"It's going to be a quick turnaround," he said. "I'll be out there tomorrow. I'll celebrate quickly."