His best may have come too late for the season’s majors but there is always next year.
Tiger Woods declared boldly that he his back to his best after a storming victory at the BMW Championship that returned him to the top of the FedEx Cup standings.
Woods, who left the PGA Tour last year for eight months to recover from knee surgery, dominated the field to win by eight strokes and capture his 71st tour title.
The world number one failed to add to his collection of 14 major titles in 2009 as he chases Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18.
However, with his sixth victory of the season, Woods reckons he is now on top of his game and has solved the putting problems that blighted his chances at the four majors. He said in a CNN article:
“It’s one of my best years, there’s no doubt about that – I haven’t won as many times as I did in 2000 and didn’t win any majors this year, but certainly I’ve never had a year where I’ve been this consistent either, this many high finishes and the number of events I’ve played.â€
Woods, who shot a course record 62 at Cog Hill in the third round, closed with a 68 for a total of 19-under-par 265 and his fifth victory in the event. That was eight strokes better than Jim Furyk and Australian Marc Leishman.
He agreed that putting was the key to his victory.
“It’s just been a matter of making a couple putts here and there and I would have won the tournaments. That’s all the difference was. And lo and behold, boom, I hit the ball just as well, just as consistent this week, and I made a few putts, and that’s how it happens.â€
Furyk is third on the FedEx Cup standings behind Steve Stricker with Zach Johnson fourth and Heath Slocum fifth.
Woods and company now head for the season-ending Tour Championship that could seal his victory in the FedEx Cup.
On the European Tour, 43-year-old South African James Kingston beat Denmark’s Anders Hansen in a play-off to win the Mercedes-Benz Championship in Cologne.
Kingston closed with three-under 69 and Hansen fired 67 as both players finished on 13-under 275 for the tournament.
The veteran then sank a four-foot putt on the first sudden-death play-off hole as Hansen missed a six-footer.
Kingston is now the oldest Tour winner this season and jumps into the top 50 of the Race to Dubai contest. It was also his second career win on the circuit after his South African Open triumph in 2008.
England’s Simon Dyson, Denmark’s Soren Hansen and Peter Hanson, of Sweden, were tied for third on 276.