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Hertfordshire, England - Tiger Woods withstood two weather delays Sunday as he cruised to a eight-stroke win at the World Golf Championships - American Express Championship.

Woods entered the final round up by six and closed with a four-under 67. That did not include an eagle on No. 18. He settled for a birdie there, as he played the closing hole at seven-under par for the week.

The world's No. 1 player finished at 23-under-par 261 after four rounds in the 60s. Woods has now claimed 12 individual WGC titles, including five at this event, and earned his sixth straight PGA Tour title.

Of those six straight wins, two were major titles (British Open and PGA Championship) and two were WGC events (Bridgestone Invitational and American Express). Woods was defeated two weeks ago at the HSBC World Match Play Championship, a European Tour event.

The win was Woods' 54th on the PGA Tour and 29th on the European circuit. He is now 38-3 when leading after 54 holes in PGA Tour events and hasn't lost since 2004 when in that position.

"This was a fun week. I hit the ball really well this week. All 72 holes, really," stated Woods, who won for the eighth time on the PGA Tour this year. "It's fun when you can control your golf ball that well.
Tiger Woods Even without this putt dropping, Woods won by eight.Getty Images

"I didn't make the putts I wanted to on the weekend, but I still kept hitting, giving myself plenty of looks and opportunities. It was overall just a fantastic week."

Ian Poulter closed with a five-under 66 to join Adam Scott (69) in a share of second place. They ended at 15-under-par 269.

Jim Furyk, who teamed with Woods in all four team sessions at the Ryder Cup last week, took fourth place at minus-14 after closing with back-to-back 69s at The Grove. Ernie Els was one stroke further back at minus-13 after a final- round 67.

Woods got on the board Sunday with a two-putt birdie on the par-five second. Three holes later, he poured in a 12-footer for his second birdie of the round.

The 30-year-old was 21-under par and six clear of Furyk at that point. Woods parred the next two holes and was looking at a 12-footer for birdie on eight when bad weather stopped play for the first time.

The first weather delay lasted 130 minutes. When play resumed, Woods two- putted for par on the eighth and again on No. 9.

Woods dropped his second shot within three feet at the 10th and kicked that in for birdie. After he blasted out of a greenside bunker to eight feet on the 12th, action was stopped for the second time.

After the second delay ended, Woods missed his short par putt. He recovered that lost stroke with a birdie on the par-five 15th and closed with a birdie at the last for an easy win.

"My whole objective was not to make a bogey on the weekend, and I made two," Woods said. "But I offset that with enough birdies."

Scott never got anything going on Sunday as he had two birdies and two bogeys on the front nine. He collected two late birdies, on 15 and 18, to share second.

Poulter got off to a hot start with birdies on three and five. He wrapped bogeys at six and eight around a birdie on seven. Poulter also birdied the ninth to make the turn at minus-12. The Englishman climbed into a share of second with three back-nine birdies.

Furyk got closer than anyone else in the final round as he birdied three of the first four holes to move within five of Woods' lead. Furyk, however, played the final 14 holes at one-over par with four bogeys and three birdies.

"I'm disappointed with the finish," admitted Furyk about a bogey on 17. "I got caught in between clubs on 17, never committed to the shot and I hit a poor shot over to the left. It was going to cost me probably a tie for second. Overall it was a great week, I played wonderful, but finishing like that always leaves a sour taste, so right now I'm a little chapped."

Brett Wetterich and Luke Donald each posted rounds of three-under 68 Sunday to end in a tie for sixth. They finished alongside Stuart Appleby at 11-under-par 273. Brett Quigley, Trevor Immelman and Thongchai Jaidee were one stroke further back at minus-10.