Australians watch the birdies as Woods finds redemption (Roundup)

Nov 15, 2009, 5:52 GMT

   Sydney - Tiger Woods was back to his old self Sunday, winning the Australian Masters by two shots to pay out on his 3-million-US-dollar appearance fee and delight the 100,000 fans who lined the tapes to see him play.

   His 4-under par 68 on the final round could not have been more different from Saturday, where the world's best golfer got the jitters and squandered a three-stroke lead with an even-par 72.

   Woods showed he had cast off the demons that had left in him a three-way tie for the lead with a birdie on the first at Melbourne's tricky Kingston Heath course.

   'It was one of those things where you had to make some birdies early and I was able to do that and I kept it going for most of the day,' Woods said. 'Yesterday, as I said, was just a bad day and I did some rehearsals last night and felt very comfortable with what I was trying to do today.'

   With more birdies on the fifth and sixth, the 14-time Major winner was quickly back at the top of the leader board and it was the usual scenario of being chased rather than chasing.

   Australia's Greg Chalmers finished at 12-under, two strokes behind Woods, who was making his first visit to Australia in 11 years.

   Frenchman Francois Delamontagne was two shots further back alongside American Jason Dufner in a tie for third.

   The dramatic reversal on the third round came after internet betting company Sportsbet announced it would not bother to wait for Woods to win, with Sportsbet chief executive Matthew Tripp saying 'we think the Australian Masters is a foregone conclusion.'

   His confidence in the 33-year-old American was vindicated but not before Woods showed a frailty that could have produced an upset.