Tiger gets hot -- in more ways than one -- to win No. 13

Likewise, Austin also had trouble keeping up the pressure late in the round, closing with five consecutive pars after reeling off birdies on three consecutive holes beginning at No. 11. But he went down swinging and singing.

Austin, who by virtue of his second-place finish cemented a spot on the Presidents Cup team, shot 67 and egged the crowd into a frenzy in an attempt to give Woods a taste of his own medicine. Austin, wearing the same Tabasco-themed shirt he wore when he shot 62 in the final round to win at Memphis earlier this summer, was bringing the heat, audibly and otherwise.

Austin knew after Woods three-putted the 14th that the battle truly had been joined, putting a cup over an ear to incite the fans, who he had in the palm of his hands.

"You always know what he's doing, the crowds are always going to crazy for him," said Austin, 43, of Woods' physical presence. "I was trying to get them to go crazy for me so that he would know there was somebody else out here."

Oh, he knew.

"I don't know how they were that enthusiastic with it being that hot," Woods said.

You didn't really expect Woods to faint because they applied a little heat, did you? Woods is now 13-for-13 at the majors when staked to the third-round lead, and the future looks as bright as the Tulsa sun.

Jack Nicklaus won the 13th of his 18 career major titles in his 53rd professional major start. It took Woods, 31, a mere 44 professional at-bats.

Moreover, the victory was Woods' fifth in the past 12 majors contested, a streak that also includes three seconds, a third and a fourth. He missed landing a trio of majors this year by the slimmest of margins -- he finished second at the Masters by two shots and at the U.S. Open by one. Nicklaus' record of 18 majors seems more reachable than ever.

"When you first start your career, 18 is a long way away," Woods said, diplomatically. "And even though I am at 13, it's still a long way away. You can't get it done in one year."

Correct. It will require at least, uh, two.

The manner in which he won was stirring news in itself. Woods never hit more than four drivers in any round, instead plinking away with 3-woods and long irons on a course festooned with tricky doglegs that demanded precision. Few thought the course suited his occasionally leaky power game.

As if he needs to vanquish more presumed ghosts, Woods' win was his second on a par-70 layout, joining the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black in 2002. Entering the week, he was 1-for-16 on par-70 tracks in majors, which seemingly indicated that the absence of par-5 holes took away his scoring edge. So much for that notion, too.

Top players sometimes grow weary of talking about his unusual ability to withstand duress under fire, understandably. For instance, Phil Mickelson was asked Sunday what makes Woods so good.

The entirety of Lefty's response: "Talent." Which is about as succinctly as anybody can put it.

"If you would have asked me that 12 years into my career would I have this many wins and this many majors, there's no way," said Woods, who recorded his 59th PGA Tour wins, fifth all time. "I've exceeded my own expectations, and I'm certainly not against that."

All around, it was a rare day. Not only did Woods wobble with a win in his sights, he let his hair down afterward, too, when wife Elin showed up in the scorer's trailer with newborn daughter Sam.

That was a trophy of another sort that Woods could not wait to hold.

"It brings chills to me, even now," he said. "It's just so cool, it really is."

Indeed, even when it's hot as blazes, this is one cool cat.