Woods comes through in clutch

AKRON, Ohio – The World Golf Championships were created seven years ago to bring together the best players from around the world. Tiger Woods has turned them into an annuity.

Woods overcame some shaky putting Sunday by making the one that mattered, an 18-foot birdie putt that broke sharply into the right side of the cup on the 16th hole at Firestone, sending him to a one-shot victory over Chris DiMarco in the NEC Invitational.

“I’ve had that putt for three or four years, and I miss it low every time,” Woods said. “I made sure I threw the ball out there a little bit more … and it just snapped at the end. I thought it was going to lip out, which was how my whole day was going. But it lipped in, which was sweet.”

The victory, his seventh straight year with at least one WGC title, wasn’t secure until Woods punched a 9-iron through the trees and onto the 18th green for a two-putt par to close with a 1-over 71.

Woods has won nine of the 18 World Golf Championships he has played, and he has earned about $11.6 million alone from these tournaments, more than 20 percent of his career earnings.

“You started these too late,” he said.

Still, he has rarely had to work this hard on a Firestone course four times in his last six trips.

Woods missed five putts inside 8 feet and trailed Kenny Perry by two shots when they made the turn. Even the birdie putt that finally gave him the lead required an approach from 189 yards over the water.

Woods finished at 6-under 274 and earned $1.3 million for his fifth victory of the year, one more than Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson.