Associated Press

Carlsbad, March 1,

Tiger Woods simply has no match. Spraying his tee shots all over the course, Woods went 25 holes before he finally took the lead, then roared past Davis Love III with key putts to win the Match Play Championship for the second straight year.

His game wasn’t sharp on Sunday, but Love helped make sure that wasn’t a factor by missing a half-dozen putts inside 10 feet and failing to answer once Woods finally took the lead.

Woods had to save par from behind the first green when the afternoon session began, squared the match when Love missed the second green and made bogey, and then it was a matter of who would take control, and the odds were on Woods. No one could have guessed what would happen on No 7.

Woods shoved another drive into the deep rough, behind two trees with a small gap between the branches. Woods took a mighty swing with a wedge from 158 yards and the ball dropped behind the flag, stopping 12 feet away against the fringe. The birdie gave him a 1up lead, and Woods found an extra gear.

After another drive into the right rough on the par-5 eighth, he punched his third shot into

4 feet for birdie to win another hole, then seized control for good on the ninth when Love found the rough and made bogey. Woods closed Love out on the 16th hole.

Woods won for the 40th time on the PGA Tour in just his 149th start, the quickest anyone has reached that milestone. He won for the eighth time in the 14 official World Golf Championships he has played.