Tiger Woods gave golf fans in Bethesda Md. a thrill Sunday and it wasn’t just for his play to win his own tournament -- the AT&T National -- by one stroke.
Even after 68 victories, Woods never finished a tournament quite like Sunday.
It had nothing to do with the golf but rather the unconventional style of the post-tourney interview.
Challenged by Hunter Mahan's record-tying 62 at Congressional, Woods plotted his way along the back nine and delivered the decisive birdie with a 20-foot putt on the 16th green, closing with a 3-under 67 for a one-shot victory.
The trophy presentation was unlike any other.
"I've always wanted to do this, so bear with me," Woods said, cradling the silver trophy in the shape of the Capitol. Then, the tournament host interviewed the tournament champion.
In this case, it was the same guy.
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"So Tiger, how did you play today?" Woods said in a mock Q&A as thousands of fans broke into laughter. This is what Woods meant earlier in the week by wanting to be a "greedy host" at Congressional.
It was his tournament -- his show.
With three birdies in a five-hole stretch, Woods surged past Anthony Kim in a high-charged final pairing. Then came a 62 from Mahan, tying the course record at Congressional that Kim had set Thursday. With some 40,000 fans waiting to see how the final hour would unfold, Woods rolled in a 20-foot birdie and walked stoically to the cup, nodding his head.
He closed with routine pars to finish at 13-under 267 for his third victory this year, along with an uncanny coincidence.
Woods won in his second try at the tournament he hosts, just as Jack Nicklaus won his Memorial in the second year.
"It was great shaking my hand today," Woods said.
One other coincidence: All three of his victories came in his final start before a major. Woods finished four shots behind in both the Masters and the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black two weeks ago. The next stop is the British Open in two weeks at Turnberry, on a links course Woods has never seen.
This victory was meaningful because it was his own. Inside the ropes, however, it felt like any other tournament that Woods was trying to win.
"You go out there with the same intensity to win," he said.
Unfortunately for D.C. golf aficionados Woods’ tournament will move to suburban Philly for the next two years so they won’t get to see Woods on Woods for at least another three years.
