Woods holds off Goosen charge for one-shot win

Tiger Woods held off a superb closing round of 10-under-par 62 from South Africa's Retief Goosen to win the WGC-American Express Championship by a shot on Sunday despite bogeying the last.

The world number one, who began the day five strokes clear of the field, carded a last-day 66 to secure his sixth title of the year in calm but overcast conditions at the par-72 Mount Juliet course.

Woods, who dropped his only shot of the tournament at the 72nd hole when he missed a putt for par from 10 feet, also collected five birdies and an eagle-three at the 562-yard 10th to finish at 25-under 263.

It was a master class over four days and sounded an ominous warning to Europe's Ryder Cup squad ahead of The Belfry clash starting on Friday.

Although Woods has a modest Cup record, he produced some sublime stuff this weekend, acknowledging: "I've played well all four days here and, as a 72-hole performance, it ranks right up there with some of my best."

It was the 30th time in 33 tournaments he had triumphed after leading -- or being tied for the lead -- going into the final day and it was his sixth victory in a World Golf Championship (WGC) event.

But he was run desperately close by world number five Goosen, who eagled the par-five 17th to close to within a stroke of the lead before parring the last to equal the course record set earlier in the day by Sergio Garcia.

"It always means a lot when you play against the best and come out on top," Woods said of his victory over an elite field including 48 other players in the world's top 50.

GOOD QUALITY

"I really played well today. In fact, it's the best I've played all week -- I just hit so many good quality shots."

The reigning U.S. Masters and U.S. Open champion was annoyed, though, to drop a shot at the last, where he was upset by a clicking photographer as he stood over his second shot.

"That was the most important shot of the entire week -- trying to hit a four-iron in there -- and he gets a happy finger," said Woods, after being denied his first bogey-free tournament.

"I was just so hot after that because I'd played so well all week and to have it come down to the last hole and drop my first shot. I was hot at him but I was also hot at myself at blocking that putt."

Goosen was delighted with his last-day performance -- and a cheque for $540,000 -- that lifted him above compatriot Ernie Els into the number one spot on the European Tour money list.

"That is one of the best rounds I've played -- and I knew I had to shoot something low today," said the South African.

"Unfortunately, I hit a poor putt at the last, where I pushed it badly, but overall I'm really happy with the week."

Soon after Goosen's eagle on 17, Woods hit his tee shot at the same hole under a tree in the middle of the fairway.

But he somehow managed to hit a four iron from there to the right of the green, pitched up from gnarly rough to 12 feet and coolly sank the putt for his fifth birdie of the day.

"That was the best shot I've hit all week," Woods said of his third shot on the 17th hole.

"It was in the grain and sitting down on top of that -- and it was hard underneath. I knew that was probably going to be the shot of the tournament."

Twice major winner Vijay Singh of Fiji fired a closing 65 to finish in third at 21 under while Americans David Toms and Jerry Kelly both returned 66s to tie for fourth a further stroke back.

CLUBHOUSE LEAD

Spaniard Garcia, who held the early clubhouse lead with his record-breaking round of 62, had to settle for seventh at 18 under.

Garcia, 11 shots behind overnight leader Woods at the start of the day, reeled off eight birdies and an eagle-three. He gathered four birdies to reach the turn in 32 and then picked up six more shots in a second nine of only 30.

It was the lowest round of Garcia's career in relation to par but the score matched the nine-under 62 he carded at the Loch Lomond Invitational in 1999.

"I played very solid today, very consistent," he said.

"I'm a little disappointed after that great shot on 18 (where he hit his approach to 12 feet), I wasn't able to make that one for my career-low. But we tied at least.

"I'm happy with the way I played all week and that was probably the easiest 62 I've ever shot in my life."

On a day of generally low scoring, three players fired 64s to match the previous course record set by American Scott McCarron in the third round.

Phil Mickelson was the first, after holing out for eagle at the par-four 14th on his way to a 72-hole total of 11-under 277.

Sweden's Niclas Fasth matched Mickelson's effort to finish in a tie for 11th place at 15 under, while New Zealander Michael Campbell produced the third 64 of the day to climb into a share of ninth at 16 under.