Woods-Duval combine wins World Cup

BUENOS AIRES, DEC. 11. Tiger Woods and David Duval repelled a late Argentine charge to comfortably win the $ 3 million World Cup of Golf for the United States here on Sunday. It was the 23rd time that the nation had won the Cup in the 46 times it has been contested since 1953.

The home pair of Eduardo Romero and Angel Cabrera briefly got within one shot of the favourite Americans when Romera fired an eagle-three at the ninth and the Americans in the following group came up with a rare bogey six.

But with the pressure firmly on, Woods sunk a crunch 25-footer for birdie two at the 10th to put the Americans two in front again and consecutive bogeys for the Argentineans at the 13th and 14th effectively closed out what had become a two-horse race.

The Americans carded a four-under-par 68 for a 34- under par total of 254, three shots clear of Argentina and Paraguay's Carlos Franco and Esteban Isasi third a further eight strokes back.

It was a second triumph for Woods after his victory in Malaysia last year with Mark O'Meara and it brought an end to one of the greatest seasons in golfing history in which he won three Majors and 11 Tour titles in all. ``It was a fantastic week,'' the 24- year-old Woods said of his first venture into golf in South America.

Woods also paid tribute to Duval's outstanding form particularly on the greens. Saying ``my partner bailed me out time and time again. Thank goodness he was out there with that great flat stick.'' For Romero, known as `El Gato' (the cat) and Cabrera known as `El Pato' (the duck) it was a heartbreak end to a pulsating four days in which they came close to giving Argentina its biggest win in international sport since Diego Maradona lifted the 1986 football World Cup.

``After that eagle, that tremendous eagle, we thought we had a chance. We were really close to the American team. But I think the Mistake was the 14th hole (where they had a bogey six),'' said Romero.

Tiger Woods pays compliments to his team-mate David Duval after the duo had taken the John Hopkins Trophy for winning the World Cup of Golf at the Buenos Aires Golf Club on Sunday. It was the 23rd time the United States had won the cup.

- AP

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