Tiger Woods eased to a seven-shot victory at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational on Sunday, earning his 79th win on the PGA Tour and sounding an ominous warning to his rivals ahead of next week’s PGA Championship.
Seven strokes ahead overnight, the world number one left an elite field trailing in his wake as he signed off with an even-par 70 at Firestone Country Club to land a record eighth title in the World Golf Championships (WGC) event.
Woods played rock-steady golf on a warm, blustery afternoon at one his favourite venues, barely making a mistake on the way to a 15-under total of 265 for his fifth PGA Tour title this year in only 11 starts.
With his eighth victory at Firestone, he equalled the mark he already shares with Sam Snead for most wins at a single PGA Tour event.
It also leaves him just three shy of matching the Hall of Famer’s record 82 career PGA Tour victories. Since turning professional in late 1996, Woods has won at least five times on the US circuit in 10 separate seasons.
“The total body of work is pretty good,” Woods told reporters after earning the winner’s cheque for US$1.5 million.