Tiger Woods is a winner on the PGA Tour again – and back up to sixth spot in the world rankings with The Masters his next start.

After 30 months without an official Tour victory, Woods held off the challenge of Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell easily in the end to claim his seventh Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

"It feels good – it feels really good," said Woods. "It's been a lot of hard work and I'm so thankful for a lot of people helping me out along the way. They all know who they are. It was incredible to have that type of support here. I used to live here for a long time and it was neat to see some friends come out."

Asked about The Masters he added: "I am excited, no doubt. It's always fun to get there and play and I'm looking forward to the momentum I've built up here. Things I've been working on are all coming together at the right time."

The five-stroke victory, achieved on 13 under par with a closing 70, came just two weeks after there were fears for the 14-major winner's career again when he withdrew from the Cadillac Championship in Miami.

That latest injury proved to be only a mild Achilles tendon strain in his left ankle, however, and now Woods is favourite again for the opening major of the season starting on Thursday week.

McDowell had hoped to come from behind to beat Woods, just as he did at the 2010 Chevron in California. On that occasion his deficit with a round to play was four and this time it was just one – but that became three when he found a plugged lie by the opening green and double-bogeyed.

Woods dropped a shot by three-putting the short next before the fireworks started. McDowell made a 45-footer from the fringe of the third and then holed from over 50 feet for eagle at the long sixth.

He still walked off that green two behind, though, Woods having three birdies in four holes. That became four in six with a superb approach to two feet on the difficult eighth, then McDowell missed a four-foot par putt to turn in 36 against the 33 of Woods.

The Ulsterman's putter came good again from 23 feet at the 11th, but when he took six on the long next, he was four behind again – with just six holes left. Both bogeyed the short 14th, Woods made a great par save from 12 feet at the 15th and McDowell missed a six-foot birdie chance on the par-five 16th.

When he followed that by three-putting for bogey, it was all over unless Woods repeated what Jeff Overton did earlier by dumping three balls in the water on the last. There was no way that was going to happen.

While McDowell was disappointed not to do better than 74, the world ranking points and Ryder Cup points were some consolation. For Ernie Els, though, he must now win this week's Houston Open to earn the final Masters spot.