AKRON, Ohio — Tiger Woods tapped in his 2-foot birdie putt on the seventh playoff hole Sunday and raised both fists over his shoulders like a heavyweight champion, a fitting pose after such an epic battle.
He and Jim Fuyrk traded heroic shots and great escapes in a sensational duel at the NEC Invitational, which started early to avoid the rain and looked like it might never end.
"It was a war," Woods said. "Neither one of us gave an inch. It was fun to compete like that, where you were tested to absolute utmost."
Woods emerged the survivor, ending his winless summer in style.
After exchanging pars for six extra holes, hardly any of them routine, Woods hit a wedge that landed next to the hole and spun back to 2 feet for a birdie putt to win the NEC Invitational after the longest PGA Tour playoff in 10 years.
"It was just shot for shot," Woods said. "Not too often do you get a chance to have your emotions and your intensity and your level of competitiveness at that high of a level. That's the ultimate. Win or lose, to be out there in that environment is pretty cool."
Furyk holed a bunker shot to save par on the first extra hole and extend the playoff.
Woods escaped from the trees with a fortuitous ruling and a brilliantly played bump-and-run from about 50 yards to save par, then made another great recovery around the trees two holes later.
"Now I understand why most of the golfers are gray and balding," Woods said.
Furyk had three chances to win with birdie putts from about 12 feet, one of them catching the inside of the right lip.
"I didn't lose it from tee to green," Furyk said. "I lost it on the greens. I should have made more putts."
A pressure-packed playoff that lasted two hours ended in a conventional manner — a wedge from Woods into 2 feet for his first victory since the Memorial Tournament in early June that ended talk about what's wrong with his game.
He had gone five straight tournaments out of the top 10, the longest stretch of his career. His victory squelched suggestions from Phil Mickelson that the PGA Tour player of the year award is up for grabs.
"I know that I'm playing a little bit better," Woods said. "The swing changes I've made are starting to take shape."
It was a heartbreaker for Furyk, who started the final day with a two-stroke lead and battled Woods to the bitter end.
Woods, 25, won for the fifth time this year and the 29th time in his career, tying Jack Nicklaus for the most PGA Tour victories before turning 30.
RENO-TAHOE OPEN: At Reno, Nev. — John Cook shot an 8-under-par 64 and took advantage of a late triple-bogey by leader Jerry Kelly to win the $3 million Reno-Tahoe Open on Sunday for his first PGA Tour victory in three years.
Cook started the day six strokes off the lead but had a birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie stretch as part of a 30 on the front nine at the Montreux Golf & Country Club near Lake Tahoe.
CANADIAN SENIOR OPEN: At Mississauga, Ontario, Walter Hall and Ed Dougherty will never forget the huge chestnut tree that guards the left side of the historic Mississaugua Golf and Country Club's 18th green.
But while Hall professed his love for the strategically placed tree after winning his first Senior PGA Tour title, Dougherty said he would like to reduce it to kindling.
BETSY KING CLASSIC: At Kutztown, Pa., Heather Daly-Donofrio scored her first career victory, shooting a 3-under-par 69 Sunday to win the LPGA's Betsy King Classic.
Daly-Donofrio, 31, in her fourth season on tour, had five birdies for a 15-under 273 at Berkleigh Country Club. Her previous best finish was 11th at the Rochester Open in June. She collected a winner's purse of $120,000 from the total prize money of $800,000.