Tiger Woods, who battled a stomach virus in the opening round, won the exclusive 36-hole PGA Grand Slam of Golf for the record sixth time on Wednesday, closing with an 8-under 64 for a seven-stroke victory over Phil Mickelson.
Woods pocketed US$400,000 and finished with a 13-under 131 total.
Mickelson, the PGA champion, shot a 68 to earn US$250,000. US Open champion Michael Campbell shot a 70 to finish 12 strokes back, collecting US$200,000. Vijay Singh was another stroke behind after a 69. He took home US$150,000.
PHOTO: AFP
Woods was never seriously threatened. He opened with a 67 for a three-stroke lead over Mickelson, and quickly widened the gap to five with birdies on Nos. 2 and 3.
He finished with two eagles, five birdies and a bogey in relatively calm conditions on the oceanside 7,123-yard Poipu Bay Golf Course. He was bogey-free on the back nine for the second day.
On the 573-yard sixth hole, Woods split the fairway with a 344-yard drive and hit a 5-iron, to set up a 55-foot, uphill putt that curled to the left and dropped into the cup. The gallery roared.
On the par-5 14th, Woods drove 293 yards into the wind and blasted a 3-wood from 244 yards out onto the green.
"Oh baby, how about this shot I just hit," he said, watching the towering shot. "That was pretty cool."
He then holed a 12-foot eagle putt. Woods also barely missed a long eagle putt on the final hole.
Woods showed no signs of a virus that caused him to vomit during the opening round and miss Monday's pro-am, or the ankle he twisted while successfully defending his Dunlop Phoenix title last weekend in Japan.
Woods won six times on tour this year, including the Masters and British Open, and finished atop the money list with more than US$10 million. He last qualified for Kauai in 2002, when he earned his fifth straight Grand Slam title by beating Davis Love III and Justin Leonard by 14 strokes.
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