Golf: Woods surges to victory in Germany

Tiger Woods shone bright at The Players' Championship of Europe in Heidelberg as he claimed a 26th victory in his last 51 starts.

Not even the breaking of his favourite driver while practising on Saturday night could stop the world number one from winning.

A 175-yard seven-iron straight into the 13th hole for an eagle two was the shot which effectively decided a superb battle with New Zealander Michael Campbell.

Having been 10 off the lead at halfway, Woods resumed one behind Argentina's Eduardo Romero thanks to his Saturday 63.

He eagled the par five first and went on to score a closing 66 for a comfortable four-stroke win on the same St Leon Rot course where he dominated two tears ago.

The 25-year-old, who finished with a 22-under-par total of 266, thus recorded his 36th pro win.

But it is the regularity of his success over the past two seasons which is more stunning than anything.

Compare his 26 wins in 51 starts to greats like Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson.

Nicklaus won 70 of his 576 US Tour events, Palmer 60 out of 727 and Watson 'only' 34 out of 567.

Campbell, who had been seven clear of the field with 35 holes to play, regained top spot with an outward 34, but after matching Woods's birdies at the 11th and 12th he was left wondering what on earth he had to do when Woods came up with his wonder shot - one which required the edge of the hole to be repaired because he had pitched into it.

Woods followed with a 12-foot birdie putt at the 15th and safely avoided the sort of mess-up that cost him victory on his last visit to the European Tour in Dubai in March.

On the eve of the tournament Campbell had a premonition that he and Woods would finish in the 20s under par.

At halfway he was 17 under and Woods seven, but it was Woods who got there.

Dane Soren Kjeldsen and Australian Peter O'Malley shared third spot a stroke further back, with Scot Andrew Coltart, Ireland's Padraig Harrington and Swede Mikael Lundberg joint fifth.