Tiger Woods shot the lowest score of his career to blow away the field and clinch the Tour Championship by eight strokes.

Woods led throughout the final round, shooting a four-under-par 66 in pleasant conditions at East Lake in the final event of the new FedEx Cup play-off series.

He carded 23-under-par 257 overall, two strokes better than his previous best total of 21-under at the 2000 NEC Invitational.

Woods also smashed the Tour Championship record low score, at the same time as securing his fourth victory in his past five starts and emphatically clinching the FedEx Cup title.

And he posted his 61st victory on the US PGA Tour, remaining fifth on the all-time list but now just one win behind Arnold Palmer.

"It's been just a phenomenal week," Woods said. "I really played well today, hit a bunch of good shots. I got on a good birdie run in the middle of the round and put it away.

"It's interesting how people questioned whether I should try and improve my game or not, and here we are.

"My driving has gotten better. I feel I'm able to work the ball better both ways and land the ball the number I want to land it on."

Mark Calcavecchia, who tied for second with fellow American Zach Johnson, said of Woods: "When he bombs it down there in the fairway, his distance control is so good with his short irons, and putting he's the best ever, period."

Woods started the final round with a three-shot advantage over Calcavecchia, and was a little shaky early on, with a bogey at the par-three second followed by a three-metre par save at the next.

However, he soon found his groove, picking up three birdies in four holes starting at the sixth to go four shots clear at the turn.

The back nine was pretty much a lap of honour, as Woods added three more birdies before bogeying the 17th.

That did not stop him shattering the tournament record by no fewer than six strokes.

Woods not only collected 10 million US dollars for winning the FedEx Cup, but also received 1.26 million dollars for winning the tournament.

Woods decided after a mediocre performance at the Open in July to modify his swing, and spent the following week at home working on the changes.

When he turned up at the Bridgestone Invitational the following week, his revamped technique was the talk of the range.

Astute judges said it looked better than ever, and so it has proved - he has finished no worse than second since.

Woods will play only twice more this year - at next week's Presidents Cup in Canada, as well as his own unofficial tournament in California in December.

His peers can only hope he fails to carry his current form into 2008.

Otherwise, it will be no contest.

Collated final round scores and totals in the The USPGA Tour, Tour Championship presented by Coca-Cola, East Lake GC, Atlanta, United States of America

(USA unless stated, par 70):

257 Tiger Woods 64 63 64 66

265 Mark Calcavecchia 65 66 63 71, Zach Johnson 71 66 60 68

266 Sergio Garcia (Spa) 68 64 64 70

269 Hunter Mahan 65 68 65 71, Scott Verplank 66 68 67 68

270 Vijay Singh (Fij) 68 68 65 69, Tim Clark (Rsa) 62 69 70 69

271 Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 68 68 67 68, Camilo Villegas (Col) 67 68 70 66

273 Justin Rose (Eng) 69 71 66 67, Jim Furyk 71 69 67 66, Robert Allenby (Aus) 68 71 68 66, Woody Austin 65 65 69 74, Stewart Cink 67 66 71 69, Padraig Harrington (Irl) 63 70 67 73

274 Steve Stricker 69 67 71 67, Slocum Heath 71 64 69 70, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 68 70 62 74

275 Phil Mickelson 68 66 70 71

276 KJ Choi (Kor) 67 65 75 69, Boo Weekley 70 67 68 71

277 Jonathan Byrd 71 70 65 71

278 Aaron Baddeley (Aus) 69 70 68 71

279 John Rollins 64 69 73 73

280 Adam Scott (Aus) 65 66 71 78, Ernie Els (Rsa) 69 69 73 69

282 Brett Wetterich 68 69 70 75, Brandt Snedeker 71 72 68 71, Charles Howell III 68 71 69 74