Sports Commentator Patrick Blake is host of the Blake’s Take show, airing weekdays from 5-6 p.m. on KZNU Sports Radio Southern Utah Sports Network – 96.7 FM 1450 AM – with live stream online at http://www.KZNUsports.com. 

COMMENTARY – Tiger Woods shot a 2-under-par 70 on Sunday in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill to win his first PGA Tour event since September of 2009.

Woods ended the tournament at -13, five shots ahead of Graeme McDowell.

The win takes Woods to No. 6 in the World Golf Rankings, returning to the top 10 for the first time since May 2011. Woods also moves up to seventh in the season-long race for the Fed Ex Cup.

Sunday’s win also marked the 72^nd time Woods has won on the PGA Tour and the seventh time he has won at Bay Hill.

Woods’ game looks to be rounding into shape for the first major of the year, Masters Tournament, two weeks away.

Tiger was never challenged on Sunday. Woods started the day with a one-shot lead over McDowell and a three-shot lead over Poulter and Els. Woods’ playing partner, McDowell, double bogeyed on the first hole to give Woods a three-shot lead. The group ahead of Woods with Els and Poulter also had a rough start. Els bogeyed the first hole and Poulter bogeyed the second hole.

Woods was 3-under after his first nine holes but did not make another birdie after the eighth hole. McDowell made a birdie on the third and an eagle on the sixth hole to get to 1-under-par for the round; but he made a bogey on the ninth hole to make the turn at even-par, four shots back of Woods.

McDowell had a chance to put some pressure on Woods with a birdie on the 11^th hole but made a bogey on the par-5 12^th hole to fall back to even-par for the day.

Both Woods and McDowell made bogey on the 14^th hole. Woods parred out for the win. McDowell did make a bogey on the 17^th hole but was still two shots ahead of third place.

Ian Poulter finished in third at -6. Ryan Moore, Brian Davis, Bubba Watson, Bud Cauley, Kevin Na, Johnson Wagner and Ernie Els tied for fourth at -5.

Woods will take this week of to rest and practice before the Masters next week.

For more GOLF talk, tune into Blake’s Take weekdays from 5-6 p.m. on KZNU Sports Radio – 93.1 FM 1450 AM – or online streaming live on the brand new KZNU Sports website: www.kznusports.com

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