Woods settles for third best, despite a closing 63

Tiger Woods did the unexpected after fellow American Bob Burns clinched the Disney Golf Classic on Sunday -- he settled for third best.

The world number one, who has triumphed five times in 17 starts on this year's PGA Tour, fired a closing round of nine-under-par 63 on the Magnolia course at Disney but still finished two strokes behind debutant winner Burns.

"I was so far back and, the way the conditions are, you just have to go ahead and be aggressive and see what happens," said Woods, who was seeking to join Jack Nicklaus as a three-times winner of the event.

The 26-year-old American had gone into the last day six shots off the lead but, despite matching the lowest final-round score of his career, was unable to secure his 35th PGA Tour title.

Woods, however, sounded far from disappointed after finishing in third place at 23-under-par 265.

"Everything worked out okay for me today," he said.

"I felt like, if I could get to 10 under for the day, I'd have a pretty good chance. As it ended up, it probably wouldn't have been good enough."

FIRST-TIME WINNERS

Burns, playing six groups behind Woods, shot a seven-under-par 65 to become the tour's 16th first-time winner of the season.

"Every dog has its day," said the 34-year-old Californian. "What can you say? I had my week. Hopefully, I will have more."

But he admitted that the last-day charge by Woods had put him under pressure.

"He (Woods) just ran out of holes," said Burns, who sank birdie putts from 15 feet at the 13th and 30 feet at the 14th to move two strokes clear of the field.

"Thankfully, it was only 72 holes. Give him nine more holes, and he would have had it."

Woods, having completed his final round, watched the last few groups on television and knew that the greatest challenge for leader Burns would come at the 17th.

"This is the tournament here," he said, before Burns hit a crisp tee shot that cleared both water and trees on the dogleg left.

CALIFORNIAN PROGRESS

"Oh, he pured it. Good for him," Woods added, certain then that nothing could halt Burns.

The world number one, playing his first tournament since the United States lost the Ryder Cup to Europe at The Belfry last month, had been using his new Nike irons for the first time in the U.S.

They had worked well enough for him at Mount Juliet in Ireland one month ago, when he triumphed in the WGC-American Express Championship, and they very nearly did the trick for him at Disney over the weekend.

Woods raced to the turn on Sunday in five-under-par 31 and reeled off four more birdies on the second nine.

Twice he missed eagle attempts from inside 20 feet and he failed to convert a 10th birdie opportunity from only six feet at the last.

"It (his final round) could have been a lot lower than that," he said. "It could have been, realistically, probably about 60."

A 60 would, in fact, have earned Woods a one-shot victory over Burns. But on Sunday, possibly for the first time in his life, he settled for third best.