Jim Furyk, two shots behind and the only U.S. Open victim who contended at Royal Liverpool, dropped shots on his first two holes and quickly fell out of the race. He wound up with a 71 to finish fourth.

But the biggest slide belonged to Sergio Garcia.

With his best chance ever to prove he could stand toe-to-toe with Woods, the 26-year-old Spaniard had three-putt bogeys on the second and third holes to slip three shots behind. Then he found a fairway bunker on the par-5 fifth and had to scramble for par as Woods was making eagle.

Garcia closed with a 73, the second time this year he has played with Woods in the final group and didn't break par.

Els had a two-putt birdie on the par-5 fifth to join Woods at 13 under, but that didn't last long. Woods threaded an iron up the front of the fifth green to 25 feet, then raised his putter aloft in his left hand when the eagle putt fell.

It was an icy, methodical way to celebrate such a big putt, but that's what Woods brought to the links for the final round.

He had a plan — control his tee shots with a 2-iron or 3-wood — and he stuck to it. This was Woods at his absolute dullest, which was how he mapped out his final round. Warm applause followed him around Hoylake as he found fairways and the middle of the green, taking advantage of the par 5s.

Only when DiMarco applied the heat did Woods respond.

It was Woods' 49th career victory, and the $1.3 million for first place put him atop the money list and pushed him over $60 million for his career.

The next stop for Woods is the PGA Championship at Medinah, near Chicago, where he won in 1999.

Woods now has three British Open titles, the same as Nicklaus, and his victory at Hoylake carried another comparison. The first major Nicklaus won after his father died in 1970 also was the British Open.

What would Earl Woods have thought of this victory?

"He would have been very proud," Woods said. "He was always on my case about thinking my way around the golf course and not letting emotions get the better of you."

He didn't. Not until he had the claret jug firmly in his grasp.