Unstoppable Tiger continues superb start to season

TIGER WOODS made it three wins in five starts this year - but only after a late scare last night.

The world number one beat Ryder Cup team-mate David Toms and Colombian rookie Camilo Villegas by one to become the first player since Ray Floyd in 1981 to achieve a successful defence of the Ford Championship at Doral in Miami.

After playing the first 16 holes in five under to maintain his two-shot overnight lead it suddenly all became a bit tense. First there was the shock of a bogey on the 17th when he sent a 113-yard pitch over the green and, from not a difficult spot, failed to get up and down.

It looked as if he might need a par at the demanding final hole to avoid his third play-off of the season, but upahead Toms had his first three-putt of the whole week.

As a result Woods could afford to finish with two bogeys - and did.

Daniel Chopra, paired with Woods, slumped to a 77 and leading European in the end was his fellow Swede Fredrik Jacobson, who came through to fourth place with a 68.

Padraig Harrington could do no better than 72 and so finished ties for 26th position.

Meanwhile, Simon Dyson produced the tournament performance of his life to claim his first European Tour title at the Enjoy Jakarta HSBC Indonesia Open - but believed his duck might never have been broken.

The English golfer saw off the dogged challenge of Australian Andrew Buckle after a topsy-turvy, weather-hit final round at the Emeralda Golf Club.

The pair had started the final day tied at 15 under, but by the fifth hole Buckle had a one-shot lead before taking an eight on the par four sixth.

That catapulted Dyson, 28, into a three-stroke advantage, which became four with an eagle at the seventh, when a thunderstorm stopped play for two hours.

His lead was only cut by two by the end as he demonstrated consistency and a ruthless edge to take the win.

Ireland’s David Higgins had a solid enough tournament and his final round 71 gave him a total of 277, nine shots behind the leader.

Dyson said: “It’s been a long time coming. A couple of years ago I thought it might never happen but this year I honestly believed it could.

“I missed one green today and I think I’ve only missed four all week. That’s the best I’ve ever hit it tee-to-green.

“We both made great starts and then he birdied the fifth to go one clear, so straightaway I was behind. Then he made an eight, I made a four and suddenly I was four clear.

“I felt a little bit sorry for him, but then I thought I was in this position two years ago when I was six shots clear going into the last at the Volvo China Open.

“I was throwing shots away and no-one was feeling sorry for me, I’m sure. So I stopped feeling sorry for him and decided to try to turn the screw.”

Dyson admitted he was a little put off by the rain delay, which gave his rival the chance to regroup.

“I was in a good rhythm when the rain delay came and that knocked me back a bit. I was still hitting fairways and greens, but I wasn’t striking it as well as I had on the front nine.

“But I was still ahead and I thought ‘he’s got to make the birdies’ - and he did. He shot a great birdie on 11 and then 12 and had good chances at 14 and 15. I thought he’d get the 15th and I’d be one clear with three to go, but he didn’t, and when I holed mine that was the first time I thought, ‘this is mine’.

“I knew he would make a birdie at 17 and so that putt of mine was one that when I’d hit it, I knew it was in. And on the 18th I just made sure I hit the fairway and the green.”