Seven on the spin as Tiger finds the magic touch again

Needing a birdie on one of the most difficult finishing holes in all of golf, Tiger Woods duly delivered — doesn't he always? — rolling in a snaking 30 footer to trigger a joyous victory reaction under the smiling visage of the host of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

On the eve of this event, Dan Hicks, one of American television's most respected broadcasters, posed the question: "Are we about to witness the single greatest season in the history of sport?"

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Certainly, with every round Woods plays, and the extraordinary manner of seemingly every victory he registers, the feeling is growing within the game that we might just be on the cusp of a campaign that surpasses any the Royal and Ancient game has seen.

That's four wins in four tournaments so far this year, and seven straight victories in all for the Man Who Forgot How To Lose.

Next stop: Doral this week, seeking U.S. Tour victory No 65 to pass Ben Hogan and go into third place on the all-time winners' list, looking up at only Sam Snead and Jack Nicklaus, at the age of just 32.

It is hardly surprising all his peers are basket cases. Gallant runner-up Bart Bryant did everything right yesterday and still didn't win.

Sitting in the sanctuary of the scorer's hut, he watched Woods play the final hole on a television monitor. When Woods made the amazing appear routine once more, Bryant's 'what on earth are we supposed do to beat this man?' reaction was priceless.

No wonder this tournament's major sponsor is Mastercard.

Most of Woods's victories in recent times have been achieved with such unremitting brilliance his peers have wondered whether, if you opened him up you would find he's made of nuts and bolts.

At least Woods laid that one to rest, missing two putts under six feet.

On the same hole. Hold the front page, folks: Woods is human after all.

Only Bryant took advantage.

Three years ago he won the U.S. Tour Championship by six strokes while playing with Woods in the final round to boot.

Here he demonstrated similar nerve, making a full contribution to a truly rousing final afternoon.

Englishmen Lee Westwood and Brian Davis had both been part of the 16-strong core who were within three shots of the lead going into the final round. Alas, they fell away badly.

Put Westwood within two shots of a lead in Europe and you can almost guarantee that if he doesn't win he will go close.

Chasing Tiger, however, does strange things to you. Over the front nine Westwood seemed to be standing over the ball at address two or three seconds longer than in previous rounds, with predictably disastrous results.

At the third, he dumped a mid-iron approach into the water surrounding the green for a double bogey, and followed it with dropped shots at the fourth and eighth. The worst fears of his manager, Chubby Chandler, looked set to be realised.

"I hope he doesn't go chasing victory too hard and fall away all together," Chandler said.

"Finish in the top five and you keep the momentum going leading to the Masters. But if you shoot 74 or 75, you might as well have not been here."

Free of pressure, Westwood at least rallied, with three birdies in five holes. He finished with a 72 for tied 17th.

Davis had a calamitous day, ruining the good work of his two previous rounds, when scores of 64 and 68 lifted him from 101st place to tied 12th.

A 77 dropped him back outside the top 50. Ian Poulter finished with a 69 for 48th.