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8-Stroke Victory Ties Tiger With Palmer At 62 Titles

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The Associated Press

Published: January 28, 2008

SAN DIEGO - Tiger Woods joined the King, and left everyone else at the Buick Invitational feeling like paupers.

In his most dominant start to a season, Woods built an 11-shot lead Sunday until his game and the fickle weather turned cold on the back nine. A birdie on the last hole gave him a 1-under 71 and an eight-shot victory, giving him 62 for his career to tie Arnold Palmer on the PGA Tour list.

"I'm sure that there are many, many more coming in the future," Palmer said. "There isn't any question about that."

Just like there was no question about the outcome.

Woods opened with a 40-foot birdie putt, threw in a 60-foot birdie just to keep a four-deep gallery from falling asleep, and only looked mortal when he made three straight bogeys toward the end of his round.

All that did was affect the final margin, not the name on the trophy.

Woods finished at 19-under 270 to win the Buick Invitational for the fourth consecutive year, tying a PGA Tour record for consecutive wins in a single tournament. Woods is the only player to own such a streak at two events, having also won four in a row at Bay Hill.

Tampa's Ryudi Imada matched the best score of the final round with a 67 and was the runner-up.

Woods returns to Torrey Pines in June for the U.S. Open, and if this week was any indication, it could be another long week for his peers. The world's No. 1 player now has won six times as a pro at Torrey Pines.

CHAMPIONS: Jerry Pate handled the howling wind to win the Turtle Bay Championship in Kahuku, Hawaii, closing with a 2-under 70 for a two-stroke victory against Jim Thorpe and senior rookie Fulton Allem.

The 54-year-old Pate, four strokes behind leader Gil Morgan after the second round, breezed to a 5-under 211 for his first victory in 39 starts and second career Champions Tour title.

Allem (73) and Thorpe (74) each birdied the final hole to tie for second.

Morgan (77), 2006 champ Loren Roberts (71), Wayne Grady (70) and Monday qualifier Robert Thompson (72) tied for fourth, three back.

NATIONWIDE: Former University of Florida golfer Scott Dunlap won the season-opening Panama Movistar Championship in Panama City, Panama, closing with a 1-over 71 (3-under 277) for a one-stroke win against Arjun Atwal (74) and former Florida Southern golfer Jeff Klauk (69).

PGA EUROPEAN: Adam Scott shot an 11-under 61 to win the Qatar Masters in Doha, Qatar, by three strokes over Henrik Stenson.

The Australian had 11 birdies, including five in a row to start, to finish at 20-under 268 and win his 14th title. Scott, the 2002 Qatar Masters champion, is the first repeat winner of the tournament. Stenson, who won the event in 2006, shot a 65 with seven birdies to finish second at 271.

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