By The Associated Press

SAN DIEGO – Eerie fog finally lifted and gave way to a bizarre victory by Tiger Woods.

Ending the longest stroke-play drought of his PGA Tour career, Woods barely made it through a 31-hole Sunday at Torrey Pines by taking advantage of everyone else’s mistakes and one bad break for Charles Howell III to win the Buick Invitational.

Ultimately, Woods almost made the biggest blunder of all.

Trying to reach the par-5 18th green in two with a one-shot lead, he hit a 2-iron so badly that it landed on a strip of fairway to the right of the big pond. He finally ended the suspense by making an 18-foot birdie putt to close with a 4-under 68 for a three-shot victory over Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman, Luke Donald and Howell.

It was his first stroke-play victory since the American Express Championship in October 2003. Woods only won the Match Play Championship last year. “This golf course is so difficult, anything could happen,” Woods said.

Almost everything did.

Lehman went toe-to-toe with Woods over the final six holes and hit better shots on most of them. But he caught a plugged lie in the bunker on No. 17 to make bogey and fall one shot behind. Needing a birdie at the 18th to have any chance, Lehman hit a fat wedge that barely got over the water, and he wound up making bogey.

Woods finished at 16-under 272 and earned $864,000, putting him atop the PGA Tour money list for the first time since Vijay Singh won at Disney in October 2003.

It was his largest final-round comeback – three shots – since he rallied from five shots behind at Pebble Beach five years ago. But this time, Woods had to rely on everyone around him.

Clark rolls, wins South African Open

DURBAN, South Africa – Tim Clark of South Africa won the South African Open on Sunday, closing with a 6-under-par 66.

Clark entered the day in a fourway tie for the lead but finished in front at 15-under 272. Gregory Havret of France (69) and Charl Schwartzel of South Africa (68) were at 279.

“At no stage did I want to let up and make any mistakes,” Clark said.

Clark’s final round was matched only by England’s Nick Dougherty, whose 66 put him at 280 with countryman Graeme Storm, South Africa’s James Kingston and Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke.

Quigley beats Watson in three-hole playoff

KAUPULEHU-KONA, Hawaii – Dana Quigley made a 3-foot par putt on the third playoff hole and beat a faltering Tom Watson on Sunday to win the season-opening MasterCard Championship for the second time in three years.

Watson, who led after the first two rounds, made a bogey after he hit into the lava behind the 17th green at Hualalai Golf Club.

Quigley, who also missed the green long, putted past the hole and made the comeback attempt. He closed with a 6-under 66, but his three-putt from the fringe on the final hole of regulation allowed Watson to move into a tie at 18-under 198.

Watson started the round with a three-stroke lead, but missed two 4-foot putts for par on the back nine for his only two bogeys in regulation, closing with a 2-under 70.