By
Ross Stapleton

Tiger
Wood hit a closing round 70 (274) to stroll to his second
British Open win at the home of golf, St Andrews, by five shots.

But
before he romped home over the closing holes, home-grown hero Colin Montgomerie
got to within a shot at the fifth hole and kept the pressure going for some
time before Woods again went on his merry way to leave the Scot yet again
lamenting what might have been.

But
if the remarkably trimmed down Monty gave Woods some moments of doubt
as he
kept to within two shots of Tiger until he came a cropper at the 11th
hole with a bogey, Woods also then faltered dropping a shot at the
10th. However, Monty finally released his choker hold with another
bogey on the 13th while typically Woods seized the moment and the
championship with a 12th
hole birdie. Jose Maria Olazabalplaying with Woods also got to within one
shot of tiger with a birdie at the fourth, but following a sixth hole bogey his
victory was halted.

Woods is well
on the pace to break the all-time majors record of 18 wins held by the
just-retired Jack Nicklaus – an achievement that was once considered
untouchable. Woods latest
major also means he’s now only the second player after the “Golden
Bear” to win
all four majors a second time.

Montgomerie
subsequently finished runner up at nine under, while a shot further back on 280
were Fred Couples and Jose Maria Olazabal. The best placed Aussie, Geoff Ogilvy, shot a closing 69, and finish with 281.