Charlotte, N.C. ? Tiger Woods couldn’t believe his luck when his tee shot somehow stopped 18 inches from going into the water, turning a probable bogey into an unlikely eagle for his first lead Sunday in the Wachovia Championship.

Equally stunning was his blunder on the 13th hole, a three-putt double bogey to blow a three-shot lead on the back nine.

“My whole goal coming in after that was to try to get the lead through 15,” Woods said. “I figured if I parred in, I’d probably win the tournament because these conditions, no one is going to play those last three holes under par.”

Woods took one more bogey, but it didn’t matter.

A final round with wild swings in momentum finally settled into a familiar outcome. Backed by a two-shot lead going to the most daunting hole at Quail Hollow, Woods was able to play it safe on the 18th and made an eight-foot par to close with a 3-under 69 for a two-shot victory over Steve Stricker, his third PGA Tour victory this year and his ninth in his last 12 tour starts.

Perhaps it was only fitting Woods slipped into the winner’s royal blue jacket late Sunday afternoon. A tournament that looks so much like a major got a champion whose career is defined by them.

“Over the course of my career, I’ve won a few tournaments here and there, and it’s been nice,” Woods said. “This one, considering the field and the golf course and the conditions, ecstatic to have won here.”

Woods’ victory meant four of the five winners at the Wachovia have won majors. The others were David Toms, Vijay Singh and Jim Furyk.

Woods finished at 13-under 275, the lowest score in the five-year history of this event. He earned $1.134 million, and went atop the FedEx Cup standings for the first time this year, despite playing only six times.

And as usual, he got some help.

Woods wanted the lead through 15 holes knowing the finish is as tough as anywhere – the hardest three holes at Quail Hollow in descending order, with the 18th so tough it played more than a half-stroke over par.

Stricker, tied for the lead when he holed a 5-foot birdie putt on the 15th, didn’t get enough help from the wind and hit into the trees, then the bunker and missed a 6-foot putt to take double bogey on the 16th. He followed with a 30-foot birdie on the 17th, but found the stream down the left side of the 18th fairway to doom his chances. He shot 69.