Woods' winning streak comes to an end in Shanghai

SHANGHAI: World number one Tiger Woods' winning streak of six consecutive strokeplay tournaments came to an end in Shanghai on Sunday after a much-anticipated final-round charge failed to find top gear.   

Woods shot a five-under 67 to finish the five-million-dollar HSBC Champions tournament in second place at 12 under, two shots behind South Korea's Yang Yong-Eun.   

Woods, dressed in a red T-shirt, threatened to mount one of his famous last-day charges with three consecutive birdies from the seventh hole but a series of close misses on the putting green put the brakes back on.   

The 12-time major winner was also left lamenting an out-of-character 73 on Saturday in blustery conditions, which followed a course record-equaling 64 in the second round.   

"Yesterday killed me... If I could have hung in there I could have been a challenge today but I was too far back and Yang just... played some great holes," said Woods, who also finished second in Shanghai last year, to England's David Howell. Woods said he had thought he would have needed to shoot a 30 on the back nine on Sunday to put himself in contention.   

"I didn't shoot 30 on the back nine. I had a chance for eagle on 14 and missed that and that was a momentum blower right there," he said.   

Woods, who shot three birdies and one bogey for a 34 on the back nine, in fact only needed a 32 to put himself in a playoff against the unheralded Yang.   

Woods had come to Shanghai following six straight victories in stroke play tournaments on the US PGA Tour, with his last loss back in July.   

His most recent victory at the World Golf Championships in England on October 1 took him halfway to overhauling Byron Nelson's record of 11 consecutive wins set in 1945.   

Nevertheless, in a quirk of modern golf scheduling, his streak on the US PGA Tour is still alive as the HSBC Champions tournament is a co-sanctioned event with the European, Asian, Australasian and South African tours.   

However Woods had said coming into Shanghai that he had placed little importance on the streak anyway, as his perfect run ended in September when he lost to Shaun Micheel in the World Matchplay Championship in England.   

Woods will next travel to Japan to defend his Dunlop Phoenix crown.   

"Looking forward to next week. I won the tournament last year and hopefully I can put it together again this year," he said.   

However Woods hinted that, after having just returned from a five-week holiday following the World Golf Championships to recharge his batteries, he already had his eye on the Christmas break.   

"Can't wait for snow so we can go skiing," he said.