Tiger burns brightly at Bay Hill

Tiger Woods became the first player to win three different U.S. PGA Tour events three years in succession when he claimed a four-stroke victory at the $4 million Bay Hill Invitational on Sunday.

The world number one fired a closing three-under-par 69 to finish 13-under on 275, four shots clear of New Zealander Michael Campbell (71). Phil Mickelson, Rocco Mediate, John Huston and Len Mattiace shared third place on 280.

Woods, 26, who lives in Orlando, won the Memorial and WGC-NEC Invitational three times each between 1999 and 2001, and has now lifted the Bay Hill title in 2000, 2001 and 2002.

"It's a great feeling," Woods said. "There's no doubt about it. To come out here and play, hit this golf course under three different conditions. Actually, they were three totally different scenarios how I won this tournament."

The win was his 30th on the U.S. PGA Tour, making him the youngest ever to reach that milestone. The victory was also Woods's first since last August's WGC-NEC Invitational.

Woods once again showed how good he is at front running, winning for the 22nd time in 24 attempts after holding or sharing the 54-hole lead.

He jump-started his round with a par-saving putt at the eighth hole before posting three birdies on the back nine.

"That putt on the eighth was the whole turnaround," Woods said. "I just dug down deep and focused on what I needed to do. I figured 11-under was going to win, so I thought if I could hang around, I would have a chance."

NUMEROUS CHALLENGERS

Woods did hang around on a day that saw numerous challengers emerge, but then falter on the back nine.

The most serious threat came from Mickelson, ranked number two in the world. At one point, the left-hander held a two-stroke lead over Woods, but he bogeyed four of the final five holes to fade to a 71.

Argentine Angel Cabrera also held a one-shot lead before a bogey and a triple bogey over the last four holes gave him a closing 73 for 282.

Woods appeared to be in complete control after a second-round 65 gave him a four-stroke lead heading into the weekend.

Through the first 36 holes, Woods made just one bogey, but a two-over 74 on Saturday that included four bogeys brought him back to the field and he started out on Sunday with only a one-shot advantage.

Woods bogeyed the par-four first hole for the second straight day to fall back to nine-under, but got it back with a birdie at the par-five fourth.

Mickelson, meanwhile, was charging with birdies at the third and fourth taking him to nine-under.

Mickelson then made a curving 25-foot birdie putt at the par-four eighth to reach 10-under, while Woods missed a 12-foot par attempt from just off the green at the par-five sixth to drop back to nine-under.

The left-hander increased his lead to two strokes with a 12-foot birdie putt at the par-four 10th, but Woods caught him at 11-under with back-to-back birdies at the ninth and 10th.

Another birdie from 12 feet at the par-five 12th gave Mickelson a one-shot lead, but that proved short-lived.

CONSECUTIVE BOGEYS

He started to struggle when he missed a 20-foot par putt at the par-four 14th and then signed off with three consecutive bogeys.

Woods took command with a tap-in birdie at the par-five 12th and another birdie at the par-five 16th increased his lead to three shots over Campbell.

"Today was quite a fight out there," said Woods after picking up a cheque for $720,000.

"On that (leader) board there was a lot of guys who had a chance of winning on that back nine.

"I tried to just hang in there and just gave myself a lot of looks at birdies, and tried not to make my bogeys on the back nine because it was very easy to make a bogey on the back nine, especially the last couple of holes.

"You don't want, with the conditions being this difficult, to have to go on that back nine and feel like you have to make a bunch of birdies, because it's just too hard.

"The greens are too firm, and the pins are not that easy to get to. If I could just somehow stay between one or two (shots) back, I'd be all right, and I was able to do that."

Mickelson was not too despondent despite letting his title chance slip away.

"It wasn't that deflating," he said. "I played well this week. I made a bunch of bogeys this week that really took me out of the position I wanted to be in heading into today, but I got off to a good start. Got in the lead there for a while."

Runner-up Campbell was delighted after securing his best finish on the U.S. Tour.

"My thought today was to go out and have fun and just try and win the tournament, and I knew I had a good chance," he said.

"I was playing well. But once again, you know, he just topped it off once again to win three times in a row."