Fiji’s Vijay Singh captured his second PGA title of the season in Texas on Monday, firing a four-under-par 68 in the rain-delayed final round to win the $5-million Houston Open by two strokes.
Reigning PGA money champion Singh, rated second in the world to Tiger Woods, parred his first six holes of the day to finish a three-under-par 69 third round that was halted by storms on Sunday.
Singh opened his final round with a birdie at the par-five first, followed with another at the par-three second and added two back-nine birdies in a bogey-free round to finish on 11-under-par 277 and beat American Scott Hoch by two shots.
Singh, who also won in February at Pebble Beach, used his long-driving abilities to maximum use on rain-soaked fairways, avoiding damp and dense rough to capture the $900 000 top prize. He also won the event in 2002 on a different course.
Singh boosted his season money total to nearly $3,35-million, about $150 000 behind Masters champion Phil Mickelson. Singh and Mickelson are both set to play at New Orleans starting on Thursday.
Rain postponed the end of the second round until late on Saturday and kept leaders to barely nine holes on Sunday, forcing the first US PGA Monday finish since last September. There were four delayed conclusions last season.
American John Huston was third on 280, two strokes ahead of Trinidad’s Stephen Ames and American Dudley Hart.
South Africa’s Rory Sabbatini, Americans John Daly and Paul Azinger and Argentina’s Jose Coceres were on 283, one stroke ahead of Australian Geoff Ogilvy. — Sapa-AFP