KEY POINTS:
LOS ANGELES - Tiger Woods fired a six-under par 66 final round today to win the US$5.75 million ($8.43 million) Target World Challenge, defeating US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy of Australia by four strokes.
World No.1 Woods finished on 16-under par 272 by curling in a six-foot birdie putt at the last hole, the only birdie of the last day at the 18th hole.
Two weeks shy of his 31st birthday, Woods won for the third time at the annual event he hosts at Sherwood Country Club, giving him eight triumphs and three runner-up finishes in stroke-play events over the latter half of 2006.
Woods' father Earl died in May but after missing the cut in June's US Open, Woods has played some of his greatest golf.
"It has been a year of two halves really," Woods said.
"On the golf course, it has been something else to have things come together, especially to win two majors this year."
Woods, who also won the Challenge in 2001 and 2004, captured the US$1.35 million top prize and donated the money to the Southern California learning centre for children that bears his name.
Ogilvy fired a final-round 71 to finish second on 276, one stroke ahead of US veteran Chris DiMarco.
Ogilvy led Woods by a stroke when the day began and will take home US$840,000 for his efforts.
"I hit a few bad shots but at least I finished the round under par," Ogilvy said.
"I would have had to shoot something pretty special to beat him today."
Sweden's Henrik Stenson was fourth on 279, one stroke ahead of England's Paul Casey and Scotland's Colin Montgomerie.
Woods began with birdies on two of the first three holes, including a key chip-in from the edge of the rough and just off the green at the par-3 third hole.
He answered a bogey at the 15th with a birdie at 16 and held on to win.
"Once you get the lead out here, if the guys behind me get aggressive, they can make mistakes," Woods said.
"The idea is to make them come get me."
Woods concluded 2006 with 54 career titles, including 12 major crowns, and a PGA Tour record US$65.71 million in career earnings.
After capturing the British Open and PGA Championship this year, Woods could achieve another "Tiger Slam" by winning the Masters and US Open in 2007.
But US tour schedule changes will force him to switch some tune-up events for those tournaments.
"My schedule is going to be a little bit different," Woods said.
"I'm still going to have to peak at the right times."
New Zealand's Michael Campbell finished with a one-under 71 to maintain his overnight placing of seventh in the 16-man field.
He was 10 strokes behind Woods.
- AFP
