GMAC's thoughts after Chevron

MARK STEVENS: Congratulations Graeme McDowell. Fantastic finish. If you want to talk about those last two putts, then we'll take some questions.

GRAEME McDOWELL: Yeah. You know, it was -- the four on 17 was pretty key. Just tucked my 8-iron a little bit there. Horrible lie. Just to get that up and down to give myself the opportunity, you know.

Tiger stuffs it in there in real time, and I didn't hit a particularly good 9-iron there but gave myself a 20-foot look at it and poured it right in the middle. It was pretty amazing.

To come back and do the exact same thing in the playoff was pretty sensational. Those are probably two of the greatest putts I've made. Holed a couple of nice putts this year, but they were certainly up there.

To play the weekend alongside Tiger, you know, it's a pretty special feeling to go out there four back and do the job. He was a little cold on the greens today, and I got off to a good start and gave myself the opportunities.

It feels pretty amazing.

Q. Of those two last putts on 18, which was tougher to make mentally?

GRAEME McDOWELL: Probably the first one, because it was an all or nothing. The first was an all or nothing. The second one I had to be a little bit guarding of my pace, because he's in the guaranteed to make. So the second one, you know, they both went right in the middle just the perfect speed.

You know, they're the kind of putts that you make them and you can't really believe it afterwards. I mean, they were the stuff of dreams. 2010 has been the stuff of dreams. It's been that kind of year. Not quite sure why.

Q. Tiger said he fully expected you to make each of those putts. Did you fully expect yourself to make those?

GRAEME McDOWELL: You know, I mean, I understand Tiger's attitude. It's like the putt in the playoff that he's over, you know, I'm trying to work out how to get to the 10th tee from there because I'm expecting him to hole. You have to.

Mentally Tiger is great match player. He's the greatest player ever, and he expect guys to hole putts like that. Did I expect to hole them? I'm trying to hole them, of course.

I mean, I've putted these greens great this week, but you don't expect to hole putts like that. You just try to give yourself the opportunity. Sometimes they fall in and sometimes they don't. But they were pretty incredible back-to-back putts. It's pretty special.

Q. Was it a match play feel right from the start for you today?

GRAEME McDOWELL: Yeah, I think it was. I think we were far enough in front of third that -- especially when I got off to a good start, it was match play. I didn't have to look too far to find out what he was up to.

Like I say, his putter looked pretty cold sort of around on the front nine, around the turn, and I sensed an opportunity. I was pretty nervous on the back nine, I have to say. Like I say, when you play alongside Tiger on a Sunday afternoon, you're expecting great things from him. I was a little nervous.

It's been an amazing season. I put that up there, you know, to play with him this weekend and to do it against him, it's definitely another highlight of 2010.

I'm just very proud of myself the way I've applied myself the last six weeks. It would have been pretty easy just to kick back with the great things I've achieved this year. But to finish as strong as I have and to win twice in the last six weeks, I'm very proud of myself as well.

Q. I don't know if you knew, but everybody knows what kind of closer Tiger Woods usually is. I don't know if you've known the stats, but 28 for 28 when he's leading by three shots or more after 54 holes. What's your reaction to being the first guy to change that?

GRAEME McDOWELL: Yeah, I mean, obviously I didn't know the stat, but I was aware that he's a pretty good player and a pretty damn good closer. (Laughing.) So, yeah, I mean, to be the guy to break that run is pretty special, of course.

You know, I'm sure he's disappointed. Certainly wasn't result the fans wanted out there. I was sensing the fans wanted -- I mean, obviously I'm up there -- I'm definitely a guy who says that golf needs Tiger Woods and we need him back winning tournaments.

Just great to see him back playing great again this week. I thought he controlled his ball really well the last couple of days. Just kind of got on the wrong side of the 13th there and made double. Apart from that, didn't do a huge lot wrong today.

Like I say, just the putter was cold. Like I say, I think he'll be back winning golf tournaments in 2011. I'm in the camp that say golf needs Tiger Woods back.

Obviously I was trying to go out there and do my job today, but he'll be back winning tournaments very soon.

Q. When you win an major like you did, you kind of raise your status to another level. Do you feel like a win like today against one of the game's best players takes that level up a little bit higher?

GRAEME McDOWELL: You know, I don't perceive myself any differently because of what I've done this year. All I try to do is pour the confidence and belief back into my game, you know, and really try and believe.

What this weekend will do for me going forward, is next time I'm in a weekend tussle with him, that's gonna -- that was a really good workout for me this weekend.

For a major championship or a big event -- no disrespect to the Chevron World Challenge, I mean, I love this event. It's so much fun. It's a much more relaxed atmosphere than a PGA tournament or a major championship or something, WGC.

Next time I'm there with him, because I fully expect to be there in Sunday afternoon tussles with him, like I said that's a great workout, and I've pulled a lot of experience from that and I'll be able to use that next time I play with him.

Q. Last year you were runner-up; this year winning. Yesterday you played with Tiger. Did that give you any insight into how things were going to go today? You said yesterday you really wanted to many come out fast, and you did that on the front nine. Was there anything from playing with him yesterday that helped today?

GRAEME McDOWELL: You know, there was nothing really I picked up, apart from the fact that he was playing very well. I thought he controlled his ball well yesterday and he had his scoring hat on, so I really thought that today I would have to go out and shoot in the 65, 66 range to have a chance.

The pins were tricky today. I mean, the great thing about this golf course is it's not the longest golf course in the world, but the second you get out of position on these greens they will beat you up. We saw that with Tiger on 13; with myself on 17.

The second you get out of position around here it's gonna beat you up. The only thing I gained from yesterday was just I knew I had to play well today to have a chance.

Q. Two parter: First, did you ever play with Tiger back when it was difficult for anybody to play well with him because of his intimidation factor? And secondly, you always won a lot golf tournaments in college, and you've had great Ryder Cups. What is it about pressure that you seem to be able to handle and really thrive on?

GRAEME McDOWELL: Yeah, first part of the question, no, I didn't really play much with him back in the day. First time I played with him was in 2002. It was my first four or five months or tour, so I was intimidated by most things. Obviously I was very intimidated by him. Deer in headlights comes to mind.

But I guess 2002 Tavistock Cup back in Orlando. I played with him at the Masters in '09. I played with him a few times, you know.

But I played with him in Shanghai about four weeks ago the first two rounds, and Ernie, so that was kind of a nice acclimatization, if you like. I think that's the word you got to use when you play with him. You've got to acclimatize to it, because there's a circus that goes with playing with Tiger Woods. There's an aura around him; there's a buzz, a media buzz, the fans.

It just takes a little bit of getting used to. It's more of the inside the ropes stuff. Just a lot going on. You learn when you play. And it's not just Tiger, it's the big players, you know, Phil, Ernie. Any time you play with big players you have to get used to that, and I have done that over the years.

As far as winning goes, it's a good habit to get into obviously. I've had an up and down career. Plenty of ups and plenty of downs. I've always figured myself as a pretty fast learner. I've learned a lot from my down times, from my hard years. I've worked very hard the last three or four years and made some big decisions in my life, caddies and management and equipment companies.

I feel like I earned my stripes a little bit, and I felt like a year like this one has been coming. Obviously the script this year has been pretty amazing. I didn't quite foresee it being this amazing.

But I really I felt like I had some big golf in me this year, and it's been amazing to be able to do it.

GRAEME McDOWELL: Yeah, it's funny. I mean, there's no doubt. 53 weeks ago or whatever it was, you know, coming back from China, you know, I really started on a journey which has taken me some amazing places this season.

Obviously I have to thank Chevron and the Tiger Woods Foundation for giving me the opportunity last year. I'm a believer in faith. I think people get there, just different paths all lead to the same place really. But I look back at last year, and I really -- would I be sitting here if I hadn't got into the tournament and been second last year? I don't know. I don't know the answer to that.

All I know is I feel pretty lucky and fortunate to have been here last year, to have done it, and got myself the opportunity to achieve what I achieved this year. You just got to feel very lucky.

Q. Do you think Tiger's people are regretting giving you that invite?

GRAEME McDOWELL: Maybe. I had a joke with Tiger yesterday coming down the 18th fairway. I said, Few more people here this year. I don't really understand why. He told me to quit moaning, you know, because he had done me a favour last year, of course.

You know, if I ever need an invite again, who knows. Maybe I won't get one.

Q. You mentioned that you think Tiger is going to be back to winning tournaments soon. So you think his mystique or aura or intimidation level can ever be back?

GRAEME McDOWELL: Um, yeah. I think he can play his way back into having that mystique again. There's no doubt. He's just got to do the talking with his golf clubs now, you know. I mean, he used to appear invincible. Of course he's made himself appear more human in the last 12months.

At the end of the day, we're all humans and we all make mistakes and we all hit bad golf shots. But there's something a bit special about his golf game, and I fully expect that mystique to return as the golf clubs start doing the talking again.

Q. Talk about 17 and the decisions there.

GRAEME McDOWELL: Yeah, just 165 yards. You know, 8-iron shouldn't fly all the way back there, and I pulled with just a fraction and gets all the way back there. It's just one of those head-scratching moments where you're thinking, What the hell am I going to do here?

Back to the tee was a legitimate option. Thankfully I was able to go back in line. There was a bit of a bowl around that pin, which meant if I could hit a little flop shot and just catch the left side of the green, the ball had a chance to come back.

Between myself and my caddie, we worked out the sort of lesser of two evils really. Back to the tee didn't seem like a lot of fun because the 8-iron seemed like a little too much club.

I made the right decision and managed to get it done there and hole a clutch putt which set up the opportunity in the last, which seemed to be taken away from me when he stuffed it in there.

He did the same yesterday. He hit it in there stiff, and I'm thinking, Here we go again.

Q. Talk about your Tweet last night. You said to "bring it on." Talk about that.

GRAEME McDOWELL: Yeah, for sure. My attitude was more bring it on. It's been great season. I was going out there today with absolutely nothing to lose. I figured he probably had more to lose than I did today. You know, four shots back, I've had a dream season. It didn't matter what was going to happen today, I was going to have a cold beer tonight and go, You know what? It's been a great season.

I was really decided to go out there with the attitude today of just leaving it on the golf course. This is my last real competitive run of the year. I'm playing The Shark Shootout next week and I'll have Darren Clarke as a partner. This is my last real competitive run of the year, and I wanted to leave it all out on the golf courses.

Like I say, that "bring it on" was more of a -- it was just kind of bring my attitude up a little bit. It wasn't like I though I could do it today, it was more just go and have the right attitude tomorrow.

McDowell's winning putt

McDowell Tames Tiger at Chevron

U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell capped off his greatest year with two clutch putts that gave him the greatest comeback ever against Tiger Woods.

McDowell holed a 20-foot birdie putt on the final hole to force a play-off on Sunday in the Chevron World Challenge, then made another birdie putt from a little longer away to deny Woods a victory in his final tournament of the year.

"It's the stuff of dreams -- 2010 has been the stuff of dreams," McDowell said.

Woods, despite losing a four-shot lead, was poised to end a turbulent year with a victory in his final event. Tied for the lead playing the 18th hole at Sherwood Country Club, he stuffed an 8-iron inside 3 feet for a sure birdie. It was vintage Woods, the kind of magic he has he delivered so often in his career.

But it wasn't the same old outcome.

McDowell, with his own reputation as a tough closer, stayed in the game on the 17th by taking a penalty drop on the 18th tee and escaping with bogey. Then after Woods' great shot, McDowell answered with an all-or-nothing birdie putt.

In the playoff on the same hole, McDowell coaxed in another birdie putt from about 25 feet. Woods had about 15 feet to extend the play-off, but it missed just right of the cup.

"Probably two of the great putts I've made," McDowell said.

It was the first time Woods has ever lost a tournament when leading by at least three shots going into the final round. And it was the first time Woods has lost an event and felt good about himself.

"It was a great week, even though I didn't win," Woods said. "I'm proud of the way I played today, even though I lost."

Indeed, it was the first time Woods like the No. 1 player of old. He opened with three rounds in the 60s, the first time since the PGA Championship last year that he led after the first three rounds.

Graeme McDowell drained two clutch birdies on the 18th hole -- the first to force a playoff, and the next to win the Chevron World Challenge.

But he three-putted twice for bogey early in his round, lost the lead with a double bogey on the par-5 13th, then rallied to give himself a chance to win when McDowell paid for a few bad shots.

Ultimately, it was great theatre. And for the first time all year, it included Woods.

"He will be back to winning tournaments very soon," McDowell said.

McDowell closed with a 69, while Woods shot a 73 to match him at 16-under 272. They were four shots clear of Paul Casey, who had had a 69 to finish alone in third.

McDowell showed why he is considered such a tough closer, despite letting Woods back into the game late.

He had a one-shot lead -- courtesy of Woods chopping his way to double bogey on the par-5 13th -- when McDowell pulled his tee shot on the par-3 17th into grass so deep that he took a penalty drop onto the 18th tee. But he dropped only one shot when Woods missed his birdie putt and McDowell pitched over a tree to about 7 feet and made the bogey putt.

Then, Woods had a big advantage again -- but not for long.

"We had a good battle out there," Woods said.

Woods was shaky early on with the putter to quickly lose his four-shot cushion, but he didn't fall out of the lead until the 13th.

He took his hand off the club on a poor tee shot that went into the left rough, forcing him to lay up. Then came another poor swing, again letting the club fall from his hands, as his wedge sailed over the green. He chipped through the green, chipped back 6 feet long and missed the putt to make double bogey.

McDowell reached the green in two for a birdie, which was a massive three-shot swing.

It was the first time Woods trailed in the tournament since the 13th hole of the opening round, a stretch of 54 holes.

McDowell needed only four holes to put some tension into this final round, with plenty of help from the host.

Woods three-putted for bogey from about 25 feet on the opening hole. Two holes later, he ran his birdie putt about 3 feet beyond the cup and three-putted again for bogey. McDowell closed within one shot with a 4-foot birdie on the fourth, and that's the way it stayed for the next eight holes.

Woods probably should have lost the lead earlier.

He holed a tough, downhill putt from 8 feet for par on the sixth to stay one ahead. And on the par-3 eighth, after a flop shop from deep rough sailed 15 feet onto the fringe, Woods again made a key par putt to keep the lead.

Woods was grinding to keep his game together, which was not unusual considering it had been one year and 20 days since he last played in the final round of a tournament with the lead. He never got it back, thanks to the clutch putting from McDowell.

A year ago, McDowell was a last-minute alternate to this tournament when Woods' personal life began to collapse. He finished second and earned enough Official World Golf Ranking points that he eventually got into the U.S. Open, which he won at Pebble Beach.

At a party Saturday night, McDowell asked tournament director Greg McLaughlin if he could at least try to win the tournament. Woods and a four-shot lead used to be a given. Upon seeing McLaughlin after winning, McDowell apologised.

It may have ruined a good story for Woods. It capped a dream season for McDowell, who won $1.2 million and moved up to No. 7 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Chevron World Challenge Highlights

Graeme McDowell upstages Tiger

Graeme McDowell upstages Tiger Woods in sudden death to win Chevron Challenge | PGA.com

Tiger about to reclaim No 1?

Tiger Woods was in the middle of the fairway, posing over an 8-iron from 170 yards away. Luke Donald was on the top of the hill next to the clubhouse when he turned his head upon hearing another big cheer from the gallery that surrounded the 18th green.

The large video screen in the distance showed the ball next to the hole.

"Looks like he's finding his form," Donald said.

It's looked like that all week.

With three straight birdies early to turn back a brief challenge, a key par save on the back nine and one last birdie on the 18th, Woods had a 4-under 68 in the Chevron World Challenge to maintain his four-shot lead over U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell.

Following the worst year of Woods' career, he is one round away from a familiar finish.

"I'm excited about tomorrow because of the way I'm playing," Woods said.

It was the first time all year that Woods has posted four straight rounds in the 60s, dating to his final-round 65 in the Australian Masters two weeks ago. What mattered was keeping his four-shot margin over McDowell. Woods has never lost a tournament when leading by at least three shots going into the final round.

No one else was within eight shots of the lead.

After eight months of looking like an ordinary player, Woods is starting to resemble the guy with 82 wins and 14 majors. It was his lowest score and largest lead after three rounds since the BMW Championship last year, which he won by eight.

Woods was careful not to get ahead of himself.

"To be honest with you, I don't look at it that way when I'm out there playing," he said. "I'm just in the moment, trying to put the golf ball on different sides of the fairway, where I need to put it on the green. I just play. You would think that my mind might go there, but it's good discipline. Feels good."

McDowell, trailing by four going into the second round, quickly closed within a shot with a two-putt birdie on the second and daring tee shot to the top-right hole location on the par-3 third.

Woods quickly pulled away. He hit a blast-and-run from a plugged lie in the bunker on the par-5 fifth to 2 feet, rolled in a fast 20-foot birdie on the sixth and then covered the flag on the seventh to about 3 feet.

Just like that, his lead was back to five.

The back nine could have gone either way. Woods was in trouble off the tee at the 11th, put picked it clean off the dirt to about 12 feet for a two-putt birdie to keep his lead at four shots. He looked to expand that lead when McDowell hit out-of-bounds on the par-5 13th, but he somehow managed a par.

On the next hole, McDowell had 6 feet for birdie and Woods was 20 feet away for par. Woods made, McDowell missed.

That's why Woods is taking nothing for granted going into the final round. Sherwood is the kind of course where low scores are available because of the five par 5s, but it's easy to post a big number if a player gets out of position.

Dustin Johnson found that out the hard way, playing the final four holes in 7 over for an 80 that left him at the bottom of the pack.

Woods appears to be making big strides toward getting his game back. He still sees it as baby steps.

"Since the PGA (Championship), there has been incremental progress, little stepping stones along the way," he said.

McDowell has reason to see it differently. He played with Woods the first two rounds in the HSBC Champions at Shanghai, when Woods fell out of the hunt quickly with errant shots and suspect putting.

This was a different Woods he saw Saturday under a cloudy sky.

"I thought the 'wide' was still there," McDowell said of Woods' tee shots in Shanghai. "I thought he controlled it very well today. He really only had one bad drive, and he's so impressive around the green. He's the best there ever was around the greens."

Paul Casey got off to a fast start, 5 under through seven holes, until he four-putted the eighth for double bogey. He had to settle for par on the next seven holes and wound up with a 69. He was in third place, eight shots behind.

Asked the last time he felt so good about his game, Woods said, "Probably Monday of the Ryder Cup."

That would be the final day, when he played the final seven holes at 7 under in beating Francesco Molinari. Woods showed more flashes in Australia when he played his last six holes at 6 under.

This has been different. Woods has had a few loose swings, a few bad patches, but only two bogeys for the week. As he has done so often, he has built a lead and stayed in control.

Woods says the difference between this tournament and his last few events has been grasping what Sean Foley is teaching.

"I still view this as incremental. I don't see any leaps and bounds because it's been an understandings of the swing, the technique, and becoming more efficient," he said. "I think that's what you're seeing. I'm just more efficient at it."

Tiger Woods Tops Chevron

Tiger Woods got off to a blazing start Friday and a solid putting stroke enabled him to play bogey-free in the second round for a 6-under 66 that gave him a four-shot lead going into the weekend of his final tournament this year.

Woods was at 13-under 131, his best 36-hole score this year by six shots. And the four-shot lead over U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell had to be a refreshing change for a guy who has been at least nine shots back through 36 holes in seven tournaments this year.

"I've been here before, so it's not a strange feeling," Woods said. "It's just one of those things where tomorrow is the same game plan, just go out there and plot my way along and take care of the par 5s."

He did that again on a pleasant day in the Conejo Valley, and now has played the five par 5s at Sherwood Country Club in 10 under through two rounds. That included an eagle on the second hole, and perhaps Woods' most impressive shot of the day, if not the year. He hit a 4-iron from a hanging lie so severe that it caused Woods to stumble down the hill after impact.

The ball landed 8 feet away to the right of the pin.

And on the next hole, when Woods made a superb par save with a putter through a swale to about 3 feet, caddie Steve Williams walked off the green and said, "The tide is turning."

McDowell keeps plugging away in his sixth straight week of competition, playing well enough to keep pace except for a few mistakes. He took a double bogey on the ninth hole, and failed to save par from a bunker on the 18th.

He was at 9-under 135, and will be paired with Woods in the final group Saturday.

"Sometimes in a four-round tournament, you get a round where you don't really play your best," McDowell said. "To shoot 3 under and not play my best, I'm pretty happy with that."

Rory McIlroy played with Woods for the first time in competition -- the Skins Game at the Memorial doesn't count -- and was impressed with what he saw. McIlroy caught flak at the Ryder Cup for saying he would love to play Woods if his game didn't improve, although he doesn't regret what he said -- even Woods would agree with the "if his game didn't improve" part -- and both played well.

McIlroy only fell apart at the end.

He hit 5-wood on the par-5 16th that covered the flag and just went over the back of the green. On firm turf, however, he hit a thin chip some 20 feet away, narrowly missed the birdie putt, then watched his 2-foot par putt circle the cup and stay out.

On the 18th, McIlroy hit 7-iron over the green, chipped long off the back of the green and had to two-putt from 35 feet for a double bogey that gave him a 70.

The real excitement came from everyone behind them.

Paul Casey made a hole-in-one on the 12th hole, which carried him to a 7-under 65. Bubba Watson made the rarest shot in golf -- an albatross -- when he holed out his second shot on the par-5 16th. That was the difference in his 69, although he was still 14 shots behind.

Anthony Kim also made a nice recovery, chuckling at a report on a golf blog that he might have another injury after opening with a 79.

"It's as good as ever," Kim said after a 66.

Woods still has two rounds to show true signs that he is on his way back, and he has kept it simple at Sherwood -- attack the par 5s and limit the mistakes.

As if often the case with anyone at any tournament, however, the putting stood out the most.

Not only did he made some key par saves and two good birdie putts inside 12 feet in his great start -- he one-putted the first four holes and two-putted for birdie on the fifth -- he constantly ran the ball some 3 to 4 feet beyond the hole.

Woods attributed that to having too many putts above the hole, although there was a confident look to his putting that had been missing for so much of the year. He no longer looked concerned by facing those par putts, and it showed. Seven times, he ran a birdie putt at least 3 feet by the hole and made them all.

"I hit a lot of pure putts," Woods said. "I wasn't quite as sharp as yesterday, but I was able to piece it together and figure out how to hit better shots when I was struggling a little bit. I hit a couple loose shots and all of a sudden, 'OK, this is what I need to do to fix it.' And I fixed it. So that was nice."

Still, he missed only two greens in regulation, and the closest he came to bogey was on the final hole when he ran his birdie attempt some 5 feet by the hole. He made that for a bogey-free round, a rarity this year.

Tiger Takes Lead at Chevron

In one of his most complete rounds of the year, Tiger Woods missed only two greens and putted for eagle four times Thursday on his way to a 7-under 65 for a one-shot lead over U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy in the Chevron World Challenge.

Woods made it all the way until the 18th hole before an old flaw crept into his new swing. He popped up his tee shot, forcing him to pitch out from behind a tree and two-putt from 50 feet to escape with bogey. Even so, he matched his best score of the year, and was atop the leaderboard for only the second time in his troublesome season.

About the only club that didn't cooperate was his new putter, although that's nothing new. If anything has held Woods back from at least having a few chances at contending, it's not making many putts.

Great iron play made up for that at Sherwood Country Club.

"It's not too often you can say I shot 65 and only made one putt, but that's kind of what I did today," Woods said. "I only made one putt and it was on 9. The rest were either two-putts or kick-ins. It was a good ball-striking day."

The putt on the par-4 ninth was from about 15 feet with significant break. Equally impressive were some of his shots into the par 5s, particularly the 3-iron into No. 2. Woods hit it so clean that he twirled the club, a sure sign of a good shot.

He hasn't done much twirling this year.

"I have not," Woods said. "Usually, it's point which way the ball is going to go -- incoming somewhere."

McDowell and McIlroy, the Northern Ireland duo who lost only one match at the Ryder Cup, would have been tough to beat in fourballs at Sherwood. If they had been paired together, they would have had a best-ball score of 61. On their own, each settled for a 66.

"A lot of birdies out there between us," McDowell said, and that includes a pair of eagles on the par-5 11th.

Dustin Johnson faltered on the back nine and shot a 69, along with Stewart Cink, who is trying out a new putter and a new putting grip with an eye toward 2011. Luke Donald andCamilo Villegas each had a 70, and no one else broke par.

With warm temperatures and a clear sky, the greens were quicker than usual. Sherwood has its share of trouble that is not hard to find, and that accounts for a few high scores.Anthony Kim is bringing up the rear at 79.

This is Woods' last chance to win a tournament in 2010, but it looks more like he is geared toward next season. It was his second straight 65, having closed with that score in the Australian Masters a few weeks ago.

This round, however, was different.

In Australia, he made two eagles on the last four holes and played his final six holes in 6-under par for his 65. In his singles match at the Ryder Cup, he played the last seven holes in 7 under.

This time, Woods looked solid from start to ... well, almost the finish.

"It was beautiful, wasn't it?" he said of his tee shot on the 18th.

Woods missed a few shots along the way, making one amazing par on the 12th from behind the green with a flop shot that lipped out. But whenever his swing got loose, he fixed the problem during the round, not on the range the next day.

"It's like what I told you guys earlier in the week, it's a process," he said. "I was putting together streaks of holes earlier -- two, three, four, five holes of this -- and then I'd lose it for a little bit. Eventually, I needed to get to a full round and then eventually, a full tournament. And today was a full round, so that's a good start."

Woods has won his tournament the last two times he played, missing in 2008 because of knee surgery and last year because of the crisis unfolding in his personal life.

Previous wins have put a ribbon on a great year. This might be different.

"If you play well, it does give you a shot of confidence," Woods said. "I've played well in this event. I've won it a few times, and I've gone on to get off to quick starts the following year. Late in the season, a lot of guys are either traveling, not practicing or playing all over the globe. But for me, if I can end the year on a high note, it does give you a shot of confidence going into your practice sessions. Because you know what you were doing was working."

Some of his peers took notice, especially seeing him at 8 under with two holes left in his round.

"I heard he had been playing well, although I didn't see him hit a shot," Cink said.

Ian Poulter, who had a 72, offered this on Twitter: "No2 played well today, 7 under par and leading the field at the chevron world event, not far from his best going to take some beating."

That was a tweak at Woods having fallen to No. 2 in the world. The question has always been how long it would stay that way.

Highlights Day One at Chevron World Challenge

Leader board

Johnson Early Chevron Leader

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What a Difference in a Year for GMAC

Last year Graeme McDowell received a last-minute call to replace Tiger Woods at the 2009 Chevron Golf Challenge at Sherwood Country Club, Thousand Oaks in California after the World Number - at that time - withdrew from the tournament citing injuries sustained in the car crash over the Thanksgiving Holiday. 

Given the chance McDowell took full advantage of the opportunity and on the third day fired a 6-under par 66 to secure a share of the lead with Y.E. Yang of Korea. 

In the final round the Portrush golfer signed for a two under par round of 70 to finish second behind Jim Furyk – the eventual winner of the FedEx Cup in September – after he carded a last round 67. 

For McDowell the consolation was probably the better news as he moved into the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking – jumping 17 spots to 38th position - which also earned him an automatic invite to the U.S Masters Golf Championship at Augusta Golf Club in April. 

As the season went from bad to worse for Tiger Woods – losing the Number One title he had held for a record five years on October 31st to Lee Westwood - McDowell ended his season the first European to win the US Open Championship in forty years; winning the Wales Open at Celtic Manor in June, returning in October to secure the Ryder Cup for Europe at the same venue and then chasing down the European Number one title in the Dubai World Championship last weekend. 

In the end McDowell effort ran out of gas in the desert and he finished in second place in the Race to Dubai - behind Martin Kaymer. Not unlike this time last year at the Chevron Challenge - which bodes well for this week it would seem. If he can overcome the indomitable Jim Furyk, who has similarly enjoyed a successful 12 months - albeit more lucrative - following the 10 million dollars that came with the FedEx Cup. 

Joining McDowell will be the new European number One, Kaymer, along three other major winners and 13 Ryder Cup participants in a unique $5 million event that features only 18 players on the demanding, 7,027-yard Sherwood Country Club in a four-round, 72-hole stroke play event with $1.2 million awarded to the winner. 

Tiger Woods will find his hands full as he attempts to add another title to his collection as he is joined by Steve Stricker, Luke Donald, Paul Casey, Matt Kuchar, Ian Poulter, Rory McIlroy, Hunter Mahan, Anthony Kim, Zach Johnson, Sean O'Hair, Dustin Johnson and Bubba Watson. 

Sherwood Country Club, tucked away in the Santa Monica mountains, has been the tournament's home base for 11 years and has proven to be a worthy test for the game's greatest stars. 

Furthering its commitment to improving education in California, the Chevron World Challenge 2010 has expanded its nonprofit partners to include: DonorsChoose.org, Project Lead the Way, Teach For America and TELACU Education Foundation. 

These are in addition to the Tiger Woods Foundation.

The Chevron World Challenge runs from December 2nd - 5th, 2010