Randhawa struggles to 70

Jyoti Randhawa fired his best round of the week, but it was still three-over as he ended the USD 7.5 million WGC-NEC Invitational golf tournament in the 70th place, the last among all finishers.

The Indian coming back to tournament play after a long injury lay-off, struggled through the week with rounds of 79, 77, 75 and 73 on the par-70 Firestone Country Club at Akron, Ohio.

Tiger Woods won the invitational for the fourth time when he birdied the 16th hole from 17 feet and earned a one-shot lead that he kept till end over Chris DiMarco, who finished before him.

The victory was Woods' fifth of the season and the 45th of his career. Tiger took a cheque of USD 1.3 million and took his 2005 earnings past USD 7 million mark for the second time in his career.

Woods had a one-over 71, while DiMarco, who played four groups ahead and shot 68 to finish at 5-under 274. Paul McGinley, Ryan Palmer and Vijay Singh were another stroke behind in third.

Former Asian Tour No. 1 and currently No. 3, Randhawa had two birdies in the final round on seventh and 16th and five bogeys.

Earlier in the two holes left over from third round, he double bogeyed the 17th and bogeyed the 18th.

Overall he had just four birdies in four rounds, and 20 bogeys and four double bogeys.

Still, the consolation was that all finishers earned money and Randhawa in his 70th and last place picked up USD 32,000.