Tiger Woods cruises to seven-shot win at Bridgestone Invitational

Tiger 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 in the Bridgestone Invitational at Akron, Ohio, for his eighth title in 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, Woods scooped up 4-year-old son Charlie.

“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.

After a second-round 61 in which he flirted with 59, Woods ended up at 15-under 265 to easily beat defending champion Keegan Bradley and Henrik Stenson.

Woods’ mastery at Firestone Country Club allowed him to again match Sam Snead’s PGA Tour record for wins in an event. Snead won the Greater Greensboro Open eight times. Earlier this year, Woods won at Bay Hill for the eighth time.

Already the favorite next week in the PGA Championship at Oak Hill, Woods cemented that status Sunday as no one got to within six shots of him.

Stacy Lewis wins Women’s British Open

Stacy Lewis finished a marathon with exquisite birdies on the last two holes of the Old Course to close with an even-par 72 and win the Women’s British Open by two shots over Hee Young Park and Na Yeon Choi at St. Andrews, Scotland. It was Lewis’ second major title on the LPGA Tour, ending a record streak of 10 straight major titles won by Asian players.

Three shots behind with three to play, the 28-year-old Lewis played her best golf in conditions so blustery that she was the only player at par or better in the last 21 groups.

On the par-four 17th, the famous Road Hole, Lewis drilled a five-iron that settled three feet below the cup for a birdie to reach seven under and give her a share of the lead when Choi three-putted the 14th hole from about 80 feet. On the 18th, she used a putter to whack her 40-yard second shot through the Valley of Sin about 25 feet past the hole, then make birdie for an eight-under 280 total.

Inbee Park’s bid to become the first pro golfer to win four straight majors in one season ended early. She closed with rounds of 74-78 and finished 14 shots behind.

Morgan Pressel played her way onto the United States’ Solheim Cup team. Her fourth-place finish at St. Andrews bumped Jennifer Johnson from the team. Then Meg Mallon made Michelle Wie and Gerina Piller the captain’s picks.

Elsewhere

Tom Pernice Jr. birdied the final two holes for a 17-under 199 total and a one-stroke victory over Jeff Sluman and Corey Pavin in the Champions Tour’s 3M Championship at Blaine, Minn. . . . Gary Woodland holed a 58-foot chip from the rough for one of his four birdies and got up and down to save par five times to win the Reno-Tahoe Open with 44 points in the modified Stableford format.