Advertisement
Gus Ruelas/AP/Press Association Images
California Dream

G-Mac tames the Tiger in his own backyard

A couple of monster putts from the Portrush man with the American twang sealed a dramatic win. Get in the hole!

WHAT A FINISH, EH?

Plenty of you stayed up beyond your school-night bed-time last night to see Graeme McDowell first force a play-off and then beat out host Tiger Woods to take the Chevron World Challenge.

Woods had been on on top at Thousand Oaks all weekend, and actually began the day with a four-shot lead.

He suffered his first bad round of the tournament, highlighted by a calamitous double-bogey on the 13th, to sign for a 73, however.

That gave McDowell his chance as he overcame two bogeys with five birdies, the last on the 18th, to force a play-off. And he won that with another birdie putt on the 18th, leaving Woods without a title since he won the Australian Masters a year ago.

It tops an amazing year in which the Irishman won the US Open and clinched a Ryder Cup victory for Europe.

He is now up to a career-high seventh in the world this morning.

The Portrush man was clearly elated afterwards:

Two amazing putts finally did the business for me today; this year just gets better and better.

Tiger Woods – who’s title drought goes on – said: “I thought I had it in the bag but, when you consider how well Graeme has been playing this year, I honestly wasn’t surprised to see those monster putts of his go in.”

The last couple of holes are worth another watch: