Woods takes Classic

Tiger Woods survived a shaky start to post a onestroke victory in the BellSouth Classic in Atlanta yesterday, ending a spell …

Tiger Woods survived a shaky start to post a onestroke victory in the BellSouth Classic in Atlanta yesterday, ending a spell of 10 months without a victory on the US PGA Tour.Woods had not won at home since the Western Open last July. But he birdied the 10th and 13th holes before parring the final five to complete an even-par 72. He had built a three-stroke cushion with a course-record 63 on Saturday, and finished up one shot in front of Jay Don Blake with a four-round total of 271.The 22-year-old prodigy, who won last year's PGA money crown, had won his only event of the year in Thailand, his mother's homeland, with a last-round rally and play-off victory over South Africa's Ernie Els.Playing for the first time since a disappointing eighth-place tie at the Masters, Woods added his seventh US PGA Tour victory to a pair of runner-up finishes this year.The $324,000 first prize made him the third PGA Tour player to eclipse $1 million in 1998 earnings.Blake mustered only two birdies all day and closed with three consecutive pars. His final-round 70 gave him sole possession ofsecond place, his best finish since the 1996 Western Open.Mexico's Esteban Toledo and former Nike Tour standout Steve Flesch tied for third at 14-under 274. Toledo fired a 67, while Flesch carded a 70.