Some took issue with his strategy for Hoylake, hosting a British Open for the first time in 39 years. Woods hit driver only once — on the 16th hole of the first round — instead staying well short of the bunkers and relying on iron play so impeccable that his caddie kept a list of all the shots his boss missed during the week.

It was a short list, indeed.

There was that 6-iron that missed the 14th green on Thursday, a 7-iron into the bunker at No. 7 on Saturday, and the 4-iron that went long and left at No. 12 on Sunday, leading to his only bogey of the final round.

"I don't think anyone has ever hit long irons that well," Williams said.

He still had to work hard for this one because of DiMarco, a familiar foe coping with similar grief from a more recent loss.

DiMarco's mother, Norma, died of a heart attack July 4 in Colorado, and he made sure his father joined him on this trip to the northwest of England as a chance to heal. DiMarco, who pushed Woods into a playoff at the Masters last year, did all he could to deliver an unlikely victory.

"I had a lot of divine intervention out there," DiMarco said. "I had my mother with me all week."

Woods put him away on the most daunting hole at Royal Liverpool, a long iron that stopped 8 feet away on the 14th for a birdie. DiMarco kept making putts and so did Woods, making birdies from 8 feet on the 15th and two-putting from 25 feet on the par-5 16th.

Woods finished at 18-under 270, missing an 8-foot birdie putt that would have matched his record (19 under) set at St. Andrews six years ago.

His father was with him for his first taste of links golf in the 1995 Scottish Amateur at Carnoustie, when Woods was a 19-year-old amateur. As he walked up the 18th fairway with a two-shot lead, his ball safely behind the green, memories of Dad poured forth.

"After the last putt, I realized my dad's never going to see this again, and I wish he could have seen this one last time," Woods said at the trophy presentation. "He was out there today keeping me calm. I had a very calm feeling the entire week, especially today."

For DiMarco, his third runner-up finish in the last eight majors came with a consolation prize. He earned enough Ryder Cup points to move from No. 21 to No. 6 in the standings, virtually making him a lock to be on the U.S. team in Ireland two months from now.

Masters champion Phil Mickelson finished before the leaders even began the final round. Coming off his collapse in the U.S. Open, he was never a factor during the weekend and closed with a 70 to finish 13 shots behind in a tie for 22nd.

Even with so many players in contention on the gustiest day of the week, it didn't take long to sort out the contenders.