Golf

Jordan Spieth takes runaway victory in Hero World Challenge

Tiger Woods struggles on his return and finishes joint bottom with Hunter Mahan

Tiger Woods walks off the third tee during the final round of the Hero World Challenge at the Isleworth Golf & Country Club in Windermere, Florida. Photograph: Scott Halleran/Getty Images
Tiger Woods walks off the third tee during the final round of the Hero World Challenge at the Isleworth Golf & Country Club in Windermere, Florida. Photograph: Scott Halleran/Getty Images
Sun Dec 07 2014 - 23:38

Jordan Spieth capped off a second consecutive runaway victory with a six-under 66 on Sunday to win the Hero World Challenge by 10 strokes at Isleworth.

The 21-year-old Spieth, who closed with an eight-under 63 to win last week’s Australian Open by six shots for his first win of the year, collected a $1 million prize.

It was a bravura performance by the precocious Texan, who finished on 26-under-par 262 to shatter the tournament record of 22-under 266 set by host Tiger Woods in 2007.

Woods failed on his goal of escaping last place in the 18-man event when he suffered another embarrassing chipping display, taking a triple-bogey at the par-five 13th. He posted a 72 for even-par 288 to tie Hunter Mahan for bottom place, but later pronounced an overall success his return to competition after a long absence from back injuries.

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Sweden’s Henrik Stenson finished second on 272.

Woods, plagued by chipping disasters in this comeback tournament from a four-month absence, chunked two chip shots and then sent another racing by the hole on his way to an eight at the par-five 13th hole.

That moved the 14-times Major winner from two under par to one-over in the elite 18-player tournament that benefits his foundation. After another three-putt bogey, a pair of birdies from the 16th gave him a 72 and even-par 288 for the event.

"My short game was awful. But the good side is I played four straight days and felt no pain, and hit the ball as hard as I wanted to, over bunkers and cutting corners," Woods told reporters in assessing his state of play as he assimilates a swing change with new consultant Chris Como.

The former world number one said a new release point on his shots was affecting his chipping motion, but he was not worried.

“Over these holidays, I can refine it,” he said, adding that he planned a full schedule for the upcoming season. Woods opened the tournament with a 77 after going five-over on his first nine holes.

The tournament host improved in the next two rounds despite suffering from flu symptoms and got his total score under par Sunday with a birdie at the seventh – his 61st hole of the event and rolled in another birdie at the ninth. He seemed poised to reach a modest goal in his return to competition before his chipping failures.

“He said, ‘I’m sick and tired of being in last place,’” his mother, Kultida, said at the first green. But the 38-year-old Woods was stuck in that position, tied with Hunter Mahan as they trailed runaway leader Jordan Spieth by 26 strokes.