Defending champion Vijay Singh held off a charging Tiger Woods to capture the $4,6-million PGA Buick Open title on Sunday.
Entering the final round with a five-stroke cushion, Singh fired a two-under-par 70 and was never pushed in posting a four-shot victory.
”I just told myself to play solid golf and don’t make any mistakes,” said Singh, who collected $864 000 in prize money. ”It feels good to defend a title and it is the second time I have done it this year.”
The world’s second-ranked player, Singh finished at 24-under 264 to become the first three-time winner and first player to defend his title at the Buick Open successfully since Tony Lema in 1964 and 1965.
Tiger Woods and Zach Johnson tied for second at 20-under 260.
”I thought at least if I played solid on the back nine, I’d finish second, probably, and if I played a great back nine, I might be in position just in case Vijay messed up, but he’s playing too well to do that,” Woods said.
”But you never know. The holes are pretty easy, but you just never know. That’s why we play the game. Vijay is playing beautifully, so he deserves to win.”
Aussie Robert Allenby fired a 65 that included a hole-in-one on the par-three 11th to finish alone in fourth, with Dudley Hart (66) another shot back.
Singh tied the Warwick Hills course record for lowest front-nine score on Saturday with a 29 en route to a nine-under 63.
He fired two birdies and 16 pars on Sunday for his fourth win of the year.
”Nobody pressured me at all. I just tried to play hole by hole,” said Singh.
The easy-swinging Fijian-Indian is tied with Woods for most wins this season.
He has won a remarkable 16 times since turning 40 in February 2003.
Singh played on Saturday as if he was on a mission, and he probably was.
Paired with Woods — who had fired a 61 on Friday — he started his third round with three consecutive birdies and had seven on the front side.
On Sunday, Singh’s only mission was not to give back shots to the field, and he succeeded.
”I was hitting greens and making pars. Towards the end, it got a little exciting, and that’s where I picked it up a little bit,” Singh said. ”It’s tough to go out there with a five-shot lead; it’s nice to have a five-shot lead, but I would rather have gone out there and taken the golf course on.”
He carded a birdie at the par-four fifth and another at the par-five 16th that ended any hope of a miraculous comeback by Woods, who made a late charge.
Woods dug too deep a hole with a 70 on Saturday that included three consecutive bogeys on the front nine. He got off to another slow start on Sunday with an opening bogey.
After making the turn at even-par, Woods got hot on the back nine.
He followed three consecutive birdies with an eagle at the par-four 14th, where he drove the green and drained a 17-footer.
A bogey on 18 gave Woods a 30 coming in and left him in a tie for second with Johnson, who carded four rounds in the 60s. — Sapa-AFP