Only Match of Woods: Woods Himself

Woods will dominate the world golf again?

For the past five days, six top-notched pro golfers challenged Woods, each time reaching the same conclusion: impossible to break down the emperor of Tiger Woods.

Tiger Woods beat Ryder Cup team-mate David Toms two and one in the 36-hole final of the Accenture Match Play Championship at La Costa near San Diego. Woods was a little misfortunate in this championship. In 1999, he stopped in the quarterfinal, and in 2000, he lost the championship in the final. Last year, he just got dropped out in the first round. Finally, on his fourth trial, he got the Match Play Championship. It is his 36th career wins in the PGA Tour.

People say where Woods goes, a new history is written, which proved its truthfulness yet again this time. Throughout the history of this championship, lots of surprises have taken place, and no golfer in the top seed has ever won it. But this jinx has failed to cast a spell on Woods.

For the first time in history, he made another "grand slam" of winning all of the four titles of the World Golf Championship, or Accenture Matchplay, NEC Ivitational, AmEx and ENC World Cup.

In the all-Australian third place play-off Adam Scott beat Peter Lonard with a nine-foot birdie putt on the last - after being six-up after eight.

Woods came back to the US PGA Tour last month, after having a knee surgery last December. Thus, this championship meant a lot for him. First, it lasts longer than other matches. Second, it requires a strong physical power to finish up quarter- and semifinal one day and have a 36-hole final. As an amateur, he won 43 matchplay titles. But, he felt a little tension, being forced to do his best in each hole to reach up to the final.

As Woods said, "It was tough for all of us," he went through 112 holes during this championship. But he made only 6 birdies against the tough courses. Except the hard time he had against Scott, he has sailed smooth up to the final with his excellent performance. The pendulum started to swing for Woods even in the 19th, when Toms was behind Woods short in five. Woods once allowed Toms to catch up by one hole. Due to the gorgeous crisis-managing skills, he landed his bunker shot just one meter away from the cup, and recorded par save, tipping the game toward him for good.

Although he started this season belatedly due to the injury, his performance demonstrated his ambition that he would win whatever this year has in store as before. For the past three weeks, he has won twice already. Adding yet another million-dollar prize, Woods got to secure the status of the second-highest prize-money winner, marching to conquer the most money 5 years in a row. He is apart from the No. 1 Weir just by $51,000, but has already exceeded Els.

"I wish I would win in all championships I play. That`s what I expect. For the past three weeks, I won two, realizing part of it. But it will continue."

Woods sounds still hungry, engulfed in his own endless ambition.

On the other hand, Woods decided not to play in a championship scheduled to take place in the Middle East due to the looming war in that region. Thus, Els and Woods have to wait a little longer to meet each other again.

Jong-Seok Kim kjs0123@donga.com