World No. 2 Tiger Woods won his 75th career title on Monday, clinching the US PGA Farmers Insurance Open by four shots for his record-setting eighth career victory at Torrey Pines.
Even after initial hiccups due to windy conditions, Woods displayed signs of the glorious form that has fetched him 14 major titles, four short of the all-time record of 18 created by Jack Nicklaus.
Woods got his latest major crown at the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines and has also claimed the PGA event organized at Torrey Pines seven times. Woods is the only PGA player to have won so many times on a single course.
The U.S. based professional, who also has won PGA events seven times at Bay Hill and Firestone, inched closer to the all-time record of 82 wins created by the late Sam Snead.
A fog layer delayed the match clearing nearly entire play on Saturday resulting in the Monday finish. Also, it was darkness obstructing Woods' final round on Sunday after seven holes.
Woods finished a final-round par 72 Monday even after moving three-over in the closing stretch, ending 72 holes on 14-under par 274. Compatriots Brandt Snedeker, the 2012 winner, and Josh Teater shared second with 278.
The legendary player had two bogeys and a double bogey within the 14th and 17th holes, but the 37-year-old world champion ensured a par at the par-5 18th to end on a winning note.
"It got a little ugly toward the end," Woods said. "I started losing my patience with slow play and lost my concentration there a little bit. But I was able to get my par there at 18 and got the win."
After being unable to get through the cut in his season opener at Abu Dhabi, Woods grabbed his first win since last July at the US PGA National at Congressional.
Accepting the $1.08 million prize catch at the $6.1 million tournament is a good sign for Woods.
In all six previous years when Woods claimed the PGA event at Torrey Pines, he won a minimum four tournaments the same year. In five of those six years, he secured a major title that year.
Woods seemed set to frighten the tournament winning margin record he managed in 2008 when he secured by eight strokes but terrible tee shots in the final holes took off some of the magic from his active performance.
Woods attained the pole position after Friday's second round, never got with a stroke on Saturday, then extended his overall margin to six strokes by managing with six-under over 25 holes on Sunday.
Beginning with five pars Monday in extreme wind conditions, Woods got up on par at the par-5 ninth after going way right off the tee close to a spectator fence and saved par at the par-3 11th due to a bunker shot that got across the green to avoid within inches of the cup.
Woods ensured that the par-3 16th but maintained another bogey at the par-4 17th prior to his coming home with a par.
