Woods: disappointed while won $10 million
The great show over East Lake Golf Club has a result now. Over $ 10 million goes to Tiger Woods, the world No.1 ranked golfer, while the $ 1.35 million Tour Championship goes to Phil Michelson. Tiger was disappointed that he lost the Tour Championship.
On historic East Lake Golf Club’s last nine holes, with countless playoff scenarios in play and enough mind-boggling numbers crunching to make any accountant’s head spin, six players had legitimate chances of winning the playoffs’ grand prize of $10 million.
After the first two FedExCup playoffs finished with a thud — Woods and Vijay Singh had the titles basically wrapped up before the first tee shot of the tournament —- the third FedExCup delivered tension, excitement and possibility. It also delivered the game’s two biggest stars to the trophy presentation.
At one time or another in the final round, Woods, Perry and Steve Stricker were leading the projected points race for the $10 million. Mickelson wound up second — good for a $3 million bonus — but was just concentrating on winning The Tour Championship.
“I want to see if I understand this right. I shot 65, and Tiger shot 70. He gets a check for $10 million?” joked Mickelson, who led the tournament with 20 birdies and had 36 one-putt greens. “I didn’t play well the first three FedExCup events. I don’t deserve to win the entire FedExCup just based on one tournament win. But boy, today was a lot of fun. I played one of the better rounds I played all year.”
Woods, who has six wins this year, has played better rounds. Frustrated by the greens all tournament, he didn’t make a charge until birdies on 15 and 16. By then, he needed to finish with two more birdies and a bogey from Mickelson on the final hole.
“I’m a little disappointed I didn’t win the (Tour) Championship because I was right there,” said Woods, who had 117 putts, 10 more than Mickelson. “But to win the FedExCup and to be as consistent as I have been all year is something that I’m very proud of.
“There were so many unknowns at the beginning of the season, and to play as consistently as I have — I think I have nine top-twos this year — I certainly wouldn’t have expected that going into my first event, the (Accenture) Match Play, to end up where I’m at right now. I’m very proud of that and proud of what Hank has done and my trainers to get me to this point.”
Still, the feeling wasn’t quite the same as it was when he won the inaugural FedExCup in 2007. Back then, he won The Tour Championship by eight.
“It feels certainly not like it did a couple years ago when I won the tournament,” said Woods, who also won $810,000 for finishing second in The Tour Championship to go with his $10 million bonus. “So yeah, that felt a little bit better than it did today. I hit the ball well enough to make a few more birdies, and I just didn’t make any putts this week from about 10 to 20 feet. I missed a lot of putts.”
