DIGEST:TIGER WOODS tied Ben Hogan with his 64th U.S. PGA Tour victory, taking the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a 24-foot birdie putt on the final hole to keep his winning streak alive.
Woods, the world's number one-ranked golfer, shot a four-under-par 66 during the final round to beat Bart Bryant by one stroke at Palmer's Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, Florida.
Woods, 32, finished at 10-under 270 to capture his third PGA Tour victory of the season and fifth in a row since September.
Counting a European PGA Tour win in Dubai, an exhibition tournament victory in California and the President's Cup, Woods hasn't lost since a second-place finish to Phil Mickelson in the Deutsche Bank Championship on September 3rd, last year.
Woods passed Palmer for fourth on the PGA Tour's victory list in February when he won the World Golf Championships Matchplay event. The only golfers with more career PGA wins are Sam Snead, with 82, and Jack Nicklaus, with 73. Byron Nelson won a record 11 straight PGA Tourevents in 1945.
Woods produced a flawless front nine to take the lead halfway through the final round.
Woods, who started the day in a five-way tie for the lead, picked up three birdies on the outward half, holing a 16-footer at the par-four ninth to jump clear in pleasant conditions at Bay Hill.
He turned at nine-under, one stroke clear of Bart Bryant, while Vijay Singh and Hunter Mahan were two strokes behind.
He wasted little time taking the lead yesterday, picking up a birdie at the par-three second, before adding another birdie at the par-five sixth after nearly reaching the green with his second shot.
Another birdie at the ninth took the world number one out in 32 and one clear of Bart Bryant.
On Saturday Woods, who started the third round seven shot off the lead set by Vijay Singh, moved from 20th place to share top spot with four opponents at the end of the third round.
Woods, with 63 career PGA Tour wins, has made a habit of sneaking up the leaderboard before pouncing for victory on a Sunday and few were betting against him after he shot a third round 66 while Singh slipped away to a 74.
LPGA TOUR: Louise Friberg from Helsingborg in Sweden fired a seven-under-par 65 to claim the early lead in the final round of the Mastercard Classic at the Bosque Real Country Club in Mexico yesterday.
Friberg, out in 33 eagled the 12th in a back nine of 32 to set the clubhouse target of six-under-par 210.
TOUR NEWS: Seven courses designed by European Golf Design, a joint venture company of The European Tour and IMG, will host tournaments on The European Tour International Schedule and Ladies European Tour during 2008.
The first to come under the golfing spotlight will be the Twenty Ten Course at the Celtic Manor Resort, which plays host to the Celtic Manor Wales Open from May 29th-June 1st.
The same week the Challenge Tour visits Marriott Worsley Park Hotel & Country Club in England for the Oceânico Group Pro-Am Challenge.
Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links hosts the AIB Ladies Irish Open from July 11th-13th, while the Seniors Tour visits the newly built Casa Serena for the Casa Serena Open ndear Prague in Septenber.
