Radiant Woods, `Star of Stars`

"He plays another level of golf. I can`t play at that level." David Toms (USA) said about Woods after he finished at the second place, 3 shots behind the leader Woods. Tiger Woods won his fourth straight PGA Grand Slam of Golf (purse 1 million dollars), breaking the course record and the tournament record.

In second round at Poipu Beach GC (par 72), Masters champion Woods took the lead for good with a 1m50 birdie putt on the 573-yard sixth (par 5) after hitting a 320-yard drive and a 252-yard approach with a 6-iron with amazing power.

Woods` power-show in this hole was a highlight of the tournament and evoked a sigh of admiration from PGA champion David Toms.

With first round record of 5-under-par 67, Woods started the day a stroke behind U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen (South Africa), but showed the incredible concentration to keep his pride. He dropped 5 birdies until the 7th hole including 9-m birdie putts in the second and the fourth to forestall the contenders.

Woods continued the march of pars since then. However, as close contender Toms boggled in the 16th with a bogey, Woods finished the final two holes with straight birdies.

Woods finished a 7-under 65 in the final round and took a three-stroke victory over David Toms with a record 12-under 132 total. Woods earned $400,000 from the $1 million purse. Toms received $250,000.

Winning his fourth straight title, Woods broke a tie with `White Shark` Greg Norman (Australia) for the tournament victory record, and also broke the tournament record of 11 under set by Ernie Els (South Africa) in 1997.

Meanwhile, the first-round leader Goosen hit a one-under-par 71 for the third place with a total of 1-under-par 137, recording 4 bogeys only in the back nine. British Open champion David Duval (USA) ranked the last place with a poor outing recording 4-over-par 148 in total. Goosen and Duval received 200,000 dollars and 150,000 dollars respectively.

Young-Sik Ahn ysahn@donga.com