ST. ANDREWS, Scotland, 18 July 2005 — Sunday brought yet another grand crossing over the Swilcan Bridge. The defiant return of Tiger Woods.

Two days after Jack Nicklaus bade an emotional farewell to the majors, Woods took another step toward the Golden Bear’s record with another ruthless performance at St. Andrews, closing with a 2-under 70 to win the British Open for his 10th career major.

He won by five shots, the largest margin in any major since Woods won by eight at St. Andrews five years ago. This one had a sense of inevitability, as Woods took the lead on the ninth hole of the first round, and no one caught him over the final 64.

He joined Nicklaus as the only players to win the career Grand Slam twice, and Woods’ second major of the year restored a dominance that had been missing over the past couple of years.

Even after he won the Masters in a playoff, there were questions about whether Woods could blow away the competition the way he did five years ago, when he captured seven out of 11 majors.

But that’s exactly what happened on the Old Course.

Woods was challenged briefly by Colin Montgomerie and his flag-waving gallery, but pulled away on the back nine with one perfect shot after another to finish at 14-under 274. He didn’t stop and pose atop the Swilcan Bridge as Nicklaus did on Friday. Instead, he walked swiftly over the stone arch, removed his cap as he walked up the 18th fairway and sent a powerful message to the world of golf: He’s back. Maybe those swing changes weren’t such a bad idea.

“This is one of the reasons I made the changes,” Woods said, “so I could be back here again and be at this level.”

He now stands third in the all-time listings for major winners, behind fellow Americans Nicklaus (18) and Walter Hagen (11).

“It’s a dream come true to win at the home of golf,” Woods told the BBC.

“Looking at that leaderboard anything could have happened... I hit the ball so good, it was so much fun to control the ball the way I did today.

“Around the loop I hit some good shots and I really played well coming in.”

Leader from day one after opening with a 66, Woods was never headed during the week although his advantage was briefly cut to one on the last day when he bogeyed the par-4 10th after driving into a greenside pot bunker.

His playing partner Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain and Montgomerie had been his closest challengers but both fell away soon afterwards.

Twice US Masters champion Olazabal dropped shots on 12, 13, 15 and 17 but birdied the last on his way to a 74 and a tie for third at eight under while Montgomerie’s challenge ended with bogeys on 11, 13 and 16.

The 42-year-old Scot returned a 72 to secure second place at nine under, his best Open finish in 16 starts but only his second top-10.

It was his fourth runner-up placing at a major, and his first since he placed second in the 1997 US Open at Congressional.

American Fred Couples, the 1992 U.S. Masters champion, finished level with Olazabal in third place after reeling off five birdies and a bogey on his way to a four-under-par 68.

US Open winner Michael Campbell carded a 72 to finish in a seven-way share of fourth at seven under, level with world No. 2 Vijay Singh (72), Spaniard Sergio Garcia (73) and double US Open champion Retief Goosen (74). Two strokes clear of the field overnight, Woods held off the initial challenge of his nearest pursuers with birdies at the fifth, ninth, 12th and 14th sandwiched around a solitary bogey at the par-four 10th.

After picking up his first shot of the day at the par-five fifth, he missed an opportunity to forge three shots clear when he lipped out from six feet at the seventh.

However, he drove the green at the par-four ninth for his third birdie of the week there to reach the turn in 2-under 34.

His stumble at the 10th, where he also tried to drive the green, was followed by further birdies at the par-4 12th and par-5 14th as he put daylight between himself and his rivals, none of whom were able to mount a sustained challenge. He could afford a bogey at the notorious Road Hole, where he failed to reach the green in two, and a safety-first approach on the last left him with a short putt for par to complete a dominant display.

A strong finisher when leading or holding a share of the lead after 54 holes, Woods has now triumphed 37 times worldwide from 42 attempts. His major record is perfect in that regard, winning all 10 of his titles after leading with one round to play.