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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 1:47 a.m., Monday, March 17, 2008

Golf: Woods authors another golf masterpiece

By David Whitley
The Orlando Sentinel

ORLANDO, Fla. — How does he do it?

Another Sunday, another Tiger Woods masterpiece. It wasn't a thing of beauty by Tiger standards, which makes his 638th career win all the more impressive.

Did I say 638? It's actually only 64, though apparently it won't be long until he hits 300. His fifth win at Bay Hill was a grind, at least until the final hole.

He turned that into the usual fireworks show, snaking in a 24-foot putt that sent everybody home again wondering what the method is to this historic madness.

How does Woods make the hardest of games look so easy?

"It's a lot more stressful inside the ropes," he said. "Believe me."

Right now I'd believe him if he said he's actually left-handed but plays rightie just to give everybody else a chance.

He's so good it's easy to take what we're seeing for granted. That's a shame because we're sure not going to see anything like this again.

Just ponder the most recent numbers. The last time Woods lost, Hillary was the shoo-in and the Spitzers were happily married. One-hundred and ninety-six days later, only Tiger is still going strong.

He passed Arnold Palmer in career wins and tied Ben Hogan on Sunday. Next up is Jack Nicklaus, then Sam Snead, then Zeus or whoever else is the club champ on Mount Olympus.

"He will set records that will never be touched," Palmer said.

Why is this guy seemingly immune to all the laws of golf? As Woods surveyed that final putt Sunday, runner-up Bart Bryant must have felt like a palm tree.

Woods was the tsunami. At that moment, there was nowhere on Earth he'd rather have been.

"It's why you work all those tireless hours," he said. "It's why you get up at 0-Dong-30 and log your miles, bust your tail in the gym."

Those moments look easy because he's done all the hard stuff. I'm not sure when 0-Dong-30 is, but my guess is Boo Weekley isn't getting in his road work at that time. That's not to pick on Boo, who I'm sure works plenty hard. So does every other pro not named John Daly.

Woods has more talent than all of them, but that doesn't fully explain why he's so much better. It really comes down to a dedication that never ends.

It's allowed him to win when he shouldn't. When he showed up for the first round, his swing was haywire.

"A two-way miss," Woods said.

I have no idea what he was talking about. But by Saturday it was down to a "one-way miss."

After that round he and caddie Steve Williams went back to the range at Isleworth. Woods pounded balls until a no-way miss started kicking in. His caddie had seen this before.

"He always seems to find it on a Sunday," Williams said.

Remember the time he found food poisoning and still won? At least the field made Woods work for it this year. Everybody will remember that last birdie putt, but Woods was relishing the 167-yard shot that set it up.

It was the product of the extra range time he put in. Only this time, his caddie was joined by millions of other eyes to see the make-or-break moment.

"That's the kind of shot you want to face," Williams said.

At least you do if you're Tiger Woods. He made it look easy. The winning streak went to seven. Next up is Doral, then the Masters, then who knows what?

"Well, I have to keep working and keep progressing," Woods said. "And keep working on my game."

It's no mistake he said "working" twice. With Tiger the wins never stop because the work never ends.

After the victory ceremony, interviews and the final handshake on Sunday, a Buick SUV was waiting. Williams was patiently eating a chocolate ice cream bar.

His boss finally showed up, got in the passenger seat and they headed out. There was no more time to waste.

"0-Dong-30" will come again today.

Somebody needed to get home and get to bed.