Tiger started out the day one stroke behind Azinger, but by the 5th hole, was all but assured victory. 

Things would fall apart for Azinger as he bogeyed the 5th hole.  On the hole, a 527-yard par 5, Azinger used a 3-wood on his second shot, hooking it into the water in front of the green.

Woods would follow, putting a 2-iron shot on the green from 265 yards away and one-putting the hole for an eagle.   It ended up being a 3-stroke swing in the lead.  Once in the lead, Tiger never looked back. 

He would birdie the 7th, 12th, 14th and 15th holes to end his round at 6-under par.

Azinger started out with a birdie on the 1st hole, but with bogeys on the 5th, 11th and 14th holes, he dropped to 9-under.  He would birdie the 15th hole to end the tournament at 10-under par.

Woods' effort came with such ease that Azinger apologized to Woods as they walked down the 17th hole that he hadn't made it a better game. ''I would say he's probably the most dominant athlete in the history of sports,'' Azinger said.

Asked what he said back to Azinger, Tiger replied, "I said thank you."

Woods clearly dominated on the par 5s, where he was 14-under for the week and with his length able to get on in two even when his opponents had no chance.

''I'm amazed by some of the shots I was able to pull off this week,'' Woods said. ''I hit the ball flush and high and the shape that I wanted. If I wanted to step up there and hit a 2-iron 250 yards in the air, I was able to do it. I did it consistently. That, to me, is kind of cool.''

"I said at the beginning of the week, I certainly would not bet against him,'' Jack Nicklaus said, "and certainly the (wet) conditions we had this week, because of the length they made in the par-5's, made it much, much greater to his advantage.

Tiger is the first golfer to win three times in a row at Muirfield.  In 1999, Woods had to scramble and won by two strokes over Vijay Singh with a score of 15-under-par. Last year, he finished five strokes ahead of Ernie Els and Justin Leonard with a score of 19-under.  This year, he displayed his awesome power in playing the par-5 holes in 14 under par.  "I've won it three different ways,'' Woods said, "but nonetheless I've been able to somehow figure out a way to get in the winner's circle. To be able to put my name on that trophy three times is awfully special.''

Asked about his Memorial trophies, Woods responded, "One is with my father, one is in the new Nike headquarters and I don't know what I will do with this one."

It was the fourth win in the United States for Tiger and fifth overall in 12 tournaments this year.

Woods will take the next week off before the U.S. Open begins the following week in Tulsa, Oklahoma.