Tiger Wins PGA Championship by 2 Shots

TULSA, Okla. – Tiger Woods won the PGA Championship by two shots Sunday, claiming his 13th career major. He wobbled briefly on the back nine, his lead over Woody Austin and Ernie Els shrinking to one, but steadied himself with a key birdie putt at No. 15. He was 1-under for the day, 8-under for the tournament.

The crowd-pleasing Austin finished just two off, and Els was three back of Woods, who has never lost a tournament when leading by more than one shot entering the final round. He entered the day with a 3-shot lead over Stephen Ames as he went for his first major of the year. He is 13-and-0 when leading or tied for the lead entering the final round of a major.

Woods’ front nine Sunday included three birdies, one that brought a fist pump so emphatic he appeared to tweak his knee. Woods made a 25-footer on the par-3 eighth hole that took him to 9 under for the tournament. When he pumped his fist to celebrate, it looked as if his knee buckled.

If his knee was bothering him, he didn’t show it during his steady walk down the ninth fairway.

The birdie on No. 8 gave Woods a brief five-shot lead over Els, but Woods made bogey on No. 9 at the same time Els was making birdie on the 10th hole and the lead went back to three. Woods shot 1-under 34 on the front nine.

Ames, playing alongside Woods, started with a pair of bogeys to fall six shots back at the turn.

On Saturday, Woods followed his record-tying 63 at Southern Hills with a round that wasn’t anything special, but no less effective at the PGA Championship. He made 15 pars in his 1-under 69, giving him a three-shot lead over Ames going into the final round.

It felt much larger considering the history of the world’s No. 1 player.