MIYAZAKI, Japan — Tiger Woods birdied the fourth playoff hole to beat Japan's Kaname Yokoo and successfully defend his Dunlop Phoenix title today, but suffered an ankle injury which could keep him from this week's PGA Grand Slam of Golf in Hawai'i.

Woods twisted his ankle on his tee shot at the first playoff hole and limped though his remaining playoff holes, making birdie on each of them.

Woods reached the green at the par-5 18th — the fourth playoff hole — in two shots and two-putted for birdie, while Yokoo missed a 12-foot birdie putt.

"It wasn't looking good after that first playoff hole," said Woods, who closed with a 2-over 72 to match Yokoo (69) at 8-under 272 on the Phoenix Country Club course.

Woods said his ankle has been bothering him for about a month and that the cold weather in Japan made it worse.

Scheduled to play in the Grand Slam at the Po'ipu Bay Golf Course on Kaua'i on Tuesday and Wednesday, Woods said he wasn't sure if he will be able to play because of his ankle.

"I hope I'll be able to play," said Woods, also scheduled to play in the Skins Game on Saturday and Sunday in California. "I've got a couple days off, but if I can't go, I can't go."

ADT CHAMPIONSHIP

SORENSTAM LEADS

Annika Sorenstam had a two-shot lead that she thought should have been more as she stood in the rough on the 18th hole yesterday in the ADT Championship at West Palm Beach, Fla., staring at a difficult lie and a big water hazard next to the green.

"This was too dangerous," she said.

Sorenstam opted for caution, laid up and made bogey on the par-4 closing hole for a 2-over 74. She is at 3-under 213 and one-stroke ahead of Marisa Baena (66) and Liselotte Neumann (71) heading into the final round of the year at a tournament where she is the defending champion.

PEBBLE BEACH

MCLACHLIN JUST 2 BACK

Nick Watney had the lowest professional tournament round in Monterey Peninsula history yesterday, an 11-under 61 at Del Monte that gave him a one-stroke lead in the Callaway Golf Pebble Beach Invitational at Pebble Beach, Calif.

Watney, who finished 127th on the PGA Tour money list, had three eagles, seven birdies and two bogeys to take a 14-under 202 total into the final round.

D.A. Points (67), Hunter Haas (69), Peter Tomasulo (70) and Tom Purtzer (69) were at 203. Jim Thorpe (70), John Holmes (67), Kevin Sutherland (66) and Punahou School alum Parker McLachlin (69) were 12 under.