US Tour This is how Tiger Woods wins tournaments. He's number one on scoring average on the US Tour this season, averaging 68.57 a round. He's number one on birdie averages on tour, and he's number one in the "par breakers" category, which is the ratio of birdies and eagles versus par. In short, when it comes to getting the ball into the hole in as few shots as possible, there is no one better.

In winning the American Express championship, his fourth time to do so in its short, seven-year life, and claiming his sixth victory of the season, Woods was yet again able to overcome his Achilles' heel: poor driving. For, believe it or not, the world's number one player is ranked 185th in driving accuracy this season on the PGA Tour, and, indeed, his win in San Francisco, which came in part courtesy of a missed short putt at the second play-off hole from John Daly, was achieved despite finding only 39 per cent of fairways over the four days: he hit only 22 of 56 in regulation.

Yet, if driving the ball (not the distance, only the accuracy) is the only perceived weakness in Woods's game, then it appears to be one he can cope with, for this was his 46th on the American tour and brought his prize money earnings as a professional to over $55 million.

While that bank balance is set to bulge ever more, an immediate target in this magnificent season for Woods, who includes wins the US Masters and British Open, is to beat Vijay Singh's money record which was set last year.

The Fijian amassed $10,905,160 in topping the money list a year ago. So far this season, Woods has accumulated $9,913,024 and will return to competition in two weeks for the Walt Disney in Orlando and, then, the season-ending Tour Championship two weeks later. So, it is in his hands if he is to set another record.

What the win in Harding Park confirmed is that Woods, despite his frailty off the tee, is still able to get the job done, and this was the third win achieved this season where he has had to overtake a 54-hole leader.

"This is part of the process of what I went through the last couple of years, changing my game and working to get to a point like this," said Woods, reflecting on a season where he has regained the world number one spot. "I didn't really have my best stuff this week, but I still hung in there with my mind and putted beautifully and hit good shots when I really had to."

Indeed, for someone who had been weak off the tee for much of the tournament, Woods was able to call on probably his two best drives when it mattered, on the 18th in regulation and on the same hole when it acted as the first in the play-off.

"Maybe it's because I feel like I focus more," he explained as how he could summon his best shots when it mattered most. "I try and make the same mental approach going into each and every shot . . . (but) it seems like I've hit some of my best shots when I've been struggling and needed to turn it around."

After injuring two ribs at the Presidents Cup two weeks earlier, Woods wasn't sure how his body would hold up at the AmEx. The ribs acted up Saturday, forcing him to seek treatment in the fitness trailer after his round, and he made another visit Sunday morning before teeing off with Stuart Appleby and Henrik Stenson, who incidentally has made a strong early charge for a place on Europe's Ryder Cup team.

Woods, who has more than double the points of his nearest challenger Phil Mickelson in the US Ryder Cup standings for the K Club, made up a two-shot deficit over the final three holes to force a play-off with Daly that ended tamely on the second hole of sudden-death where his opponent missed from inside three feet.

"That's not how you're supposed to win a golf tournament," said Woods. "We're in a play-off, we're battling, and JD played beautifully all week. It shouldn't end like that."

Daly walked off the 16th green, the scene of his indiscretion with the blade, and handed his putter, which betrayed him over the closing holes, to a spectator in the gallery. "What do you do? I know Tiger didn't want to win that way, and I certainly didn't want to lose that way. It's discouraging to lose that way, to fight like I did. It's disappointing. I played my heart out."

While Woods and Daly dominated the final acts, it was a good tournament for European players. Apart from Colin Montgomerie, Sergio Garcia and Stenson sharing third place, Graeme McDowell and David Howell finished in a share of sixth place. McDowell collected a cheque for $187,000 for his third top-10 finish in only 14 outings on the US Tour this season, which moved him to third on the non-members money list with earnings of $814,359. It means that, if McDowell wishes, he can take out a full card to play on the US Tour next season.

Given that he played 14 counting tournaments on the US Tour this season (just one short of the mandatory commitment), it's feasible that McDowell would be able to juggle both the European and US Tours in a similar fashion to this season.