Golf: Tiger Woods coasts to seven-shot victory

Akron, Ohio • They say par is a good score in a major.

If that's true next week at the PGA Championship, then Tiger Woods has already done his share of preparation.

Woods played safe and smart with a big lead, parring 16 holes in an even-par 70 Sunday to coast to a seven-shot victory at the Bridgestone Invitational for his eighth win at the event — matching the PGA Tour record he already shared for victories in a single tournament.

"As blustery as it was, it was going to be really hard for someone to shoot 62 or 63," Woods said. "If I didn't give any shots away and played my game and shot even par or better, I'd force these guys to go and shoot something super low on a golf course that wasn't going to give it up under these conditions."

As he walked to the scorer's trailer to finalize his score, he scooped up 4-year-old son Charlie, who hugged him tightly as his father strode past the large gallery wildly cheering his landslide victory.

"This is the first win he's ever been at," Woods said. "That's what makes it special for both of us."

Daughter Sam was on hand when Woods, won the U.S. Open in 2008, before his personal life imploded. Now Charlie will have some memories of dad in the winner's circle.

"They always say, 'Daddy, when are you going to win the tournament?' It was a few years there, or a couple years, I hadn't won anything," Woods said, smiling. "'Are you leading or not? That's a stock question. 'Not leading.' 'Well, are you going to start leading?' 'Well, I'm trying.'"After a second-round 61 in which he flirted with 59, Woods ended up at 15-under 265 to easily beat defending champ Keegan Bradley and Henrik Stenson.

Women's British Open

Stacy Lewis won the Women's British Open after a marathon final day in St. Andrews, Scotland, spoiling Inbee Park's bid for a fourth straight major. Lewis finished with a pair of birdies on the Old Course and closed with an even-par 72 for an 8-under 280. It's her second major on the LPGA Tour, and it ends a record streak of 10 straight majors won by Asian players. Hee Young Park and Na Yeon Choi tied for second place at 6 under.

Inbee Park closed with rounds of 74 and 78 and tied for 42nd, 14 shots behind Lewis.

Champions Tour

Tom Pernice Jr. birdied the final two holes or a one-stroke victory over Jeff Sluman and Corey Pavin in the 3M Championship in Blaine, Minn. Pernice finished with a 4-under 68 and had a 17-under 199 total at the TPC Twin Cities for his second career Champions Tour victory.

Sluman closed with a 62, and Pavin had a 66.