Tiger Woods ends 2-year drought with win

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- The putt went in, and the cap came off. For the first time in two years, Tiger Woods had won a golf tournament, and he celebrated with first pumps, a wave of his hat and a smile that for golf had been too long unseen.

Woods came from a shot behind Zach Johnson with birdies on the final two holes Sunday to take the $5-million Chevron World Challenge, a charity event which benefits his Tiger Woods Foundation and surely was beneficial to the host.

"It feels awesome,'' Woods said. "It feels great.

"It was a lot of fun coming down the stretch like this. Jim [Furyk] came in here two years ago and used it as a steppingstone [to being PGA Tour Player of the Year in 2010].''

Now Woods, who had gone 26 events without a first-place finish, with the pain and embarrassment of his auto accident and subsequent revelations of infidelity haunting his life and game, hopes to return to the success he had until the fall of 2009, winning 14 majors and more than 70 events.

Woods shot a final-round 3-under-par 69 at Sherwood Country Club, where unlike Saturday, the wind was no factor. His 72-hole total of 10-under 278 was a stroke ahead of Johnson, who started the round a shot in front of Tiger and came in with a 1-under 71.

Paul Casey, after opening with a 7-over 79 Thursday, went back to his old swing, and with subsequent rounds of 67-68-69, charged back to a 5-under 283 and third place.

Though the Chevron is an 18-player unofficial tournament, it does award world ranking points, and that will be a boost to Woods, who during his troubles had fallen from first to 52nd.

Woods said he felt confident after playing well in the Frys.Com Open in October, last month in the Australian Open -- where he led after two rounds -- and Presidents Cup.

"I'm pleased with the way we were able to fix my swing out there under pressure,'' Woods said. "The last two holes, I hit three of the best shots all week.''

Woods' last victory was the 2009 Australian Open, just before the Thanksgiving night accident when he rammed his SUV into a fire hydrant. His last PGA Tour win was the BMW Open in September 2009. This was the fifth time he won the Chevron.

Asked how his late father, Earl, who started Tiger in golf, would have judged the victory, Woods said, "He would be proud of the way I hung in there, staying focused and committed to my shots.''

Woods had taken a two-shot lead on Johnson with birdies on 10 and 11. Tiger then bogeyed 12, and Johnson, the 2007 Masters champion, birdied 13 and 16 to go in front until Woods' great final two holes.