CHICAGO: Tiger Woods cruised to victory in the BMW Championship on Sunday, his sixth triumph of 2009 putting him back atop the US PGA Tour's FedEx Cup rankings going into the Tour Championship.

Woods, who took control of the $7.5 million tournament with a course record 62 on Saturday, started the day with a seven-shot lead and didn't let anyone move closer than six shots. Woods's 71st career victory put him two behind Jack Nicklaus for second on the PGA Tour's all-time list. And Woods equalled Sam Snead with his sixth season with at least six titles.

The world number one carded a three-under final round of 68 for 19-under 265 to beat Australian Marc Leishman and Jim Furyk by eight strokes. Furyk shot a 66 for 273 while Leishman notched a 69. It was a further shot back to Sean O'Hair, who shot a 66 for 274. It was Woods's fifth victory at Cog Hill, and his 10th US PGA Tour victory by at least eight strokes.

Behind Woods, players scrambled for the top 30 places in the playoff standings and a berth in the Tour Championship in two weeks, where the playoff series titlist will be crowned with a $10 million payout at stake.

Furyk's performance saw him jump 15 places in the standings to No 3, putting him in the running to win the series with a victory at the Tour Championship. Leishman, whose eagle at the final hole of the Deutsche Bank Championship on Monday saw him squeeze into the field for this tournament, booked his first trip to the Tour Championship.