He shot 69 to finish at 13-under-par 275, with Steve Stricker (69) alone on 11-under after finding water with his second shot at the brutal par-four 18th for a closing bogey.

Ireland's Padriag Harrington finished on one over.

After his win, Woods said: “The back nine I struggled a little bit,” he said after emerging the last man standing to edge Steve Sticker by two strokes in tough, breezy conditions at Quail Hollow.

Phil Mickelson (70) tied for third with overnight leader Rory Sabbatini (74), two shots further back.

Woods, 31, collected $1,134,000 (€1.7m) for his 57th PGA Tour victory, his third in six starts this year, and he moved to the top of the money list and the FedEx Cup points table.

“This week I didn’t really have my best stuff, but it was good enough,” he said. “But I made a lot of putts this week, some crucial par putts from six to eight feet, which you have to make.”

Woods started the day a stroke from the lead, but went to the front with a somewhat lucky eagle at the par-five seventh.

His drive came within a foot of finding the lake right of the fairway, but he took advantage of his break to hit a seven-iron to the back of the green, before draining a 60-footer dead centre.

“It should have probably been (bogey) six on that hole, because I lost my tee shot to the right, and I don’t know how it didn’t go in the water,” he said.

“All of a sudden I had a perfect lie and I took a chance on that second shot to go for it. But I ended up on the top shelf (of the green). I was just trying to two-putt and it happened to go in.”

He added birdies at the next two holes to take command at the turn, and kept the lead despite a soft bogey at the par-five 10th and an even softer double bogey at the par-three 13th.

“The back nine I struggled a little bit,” Woods continued. “My goal coming in was to try to get the lead through 15. I figured if I parred in I’d probably win, because in these conditions you figure probably no-one is going to play those last three holes under par.”

Stricker, playing two groups ahead, birdied the par-five 15th to briefly tie for the lead, but promptly dropped two shots at the tough par-four 16th after his drive found trouble and he had to pitch his second shot back to the fairway.

Woods, who also birdied the 15th, only had to avoid disaster after that and a bogey at the par-three 17th mattered little.

“I knew after I birdied 15, if I could just play in at even par, I’d have a chance,” said Stricker. “It’s a little bittersweet. I’m happy I finished second, but I had an opportunity to win.”

Woods showed at last month’s Masters, where he started the final round a stroke from the lead before finishing tied second, that he is not necessarily invincible all the time.

His father died the week of this event last year, but he always planned to return after a one-year absence.

“Last year I wanted to play here but I just couldn’t,” he said.

Next up is this week’s Players’ Championship, an event he has won only once.

He added: “I still need to do some work.”