Vijay wins by one shot from Westwood
and Appleby at Firestone
FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Vijay Singh survived a battle of nerves to win the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
Singh shot a two-under-par, final-round 68 at the Firestone Country Club, Akron, Ohio to win by a shot from overnight co-leader Lee Westwood and a hard-finishing Stuart Appleby while Phil Mickelson, who had also started the day with a share of the lead, slipped back to a tie for fourth place with Retief Goosen after finishing with back-to-back bogeys.
It was a hard-fought victory, the Fijian's first since taking the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March 2007, and 32nd in all on the US PGA Tour, making him the most successful international player of all time in America after passing Englishman Harry Cooper.
Nerves were frayed for all three co-leaders, England's Westwood playing alongside Singh in the final pairing of the day at Firestone Country Club, with Mickelson of the United States playing one group in front alongside Australia's Appleby.
Westwood had also begun the day with a chance of breaking a 10-year winless streak in the United States, his only US PGA Tour title among his 27 career victories worldwide having come at the 1998 Freeport-McDermott Classic in New Orleans.
Singh began the last with a one-shot lead and he had a birdie putt to win from 26 feet but left it short by around four feet. That gave Westwood a chance to force a play-off from 16ft but he pulled his putt wide and Singh needed to hole out from just three-and-a-half feet for victory.
For once the nerves held.
Darren Clarke finished joint sixth on 273.
Paul Casey posted the low round of the day, a five-under-par 65 that earned him a tie for eighth place at six under for the tournament, thanks to a bogey-free final round.
A double bogey 7 at the par-5 16th took the momentum away from Ian Poulter as he closed with a round of 71 to finish the tournament two under par but Open champion Padraig Harrington completed his preparations for next week's final major of the year with a closing 67 to finish at 279, one under par for the tournament.
England's Nick Dougherty continuing his improvement, firing a second successive one-under 69 to following opening rounds of 72 and 76 to finish six over par for the week.
Colin Montgomerie was unable to join in on the low scoring over the last two rounds. He had a six-over-par 76 in the third round and repeated the dose in the final round.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 280 (4 x 70)
270 Vijay Singh (Fij) 67 66 69 68
271 Lee Westwood (Eng) 70 65 67 69, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 70 66 67 68
272 Phil Mickelson 68 66 68 70, Retief Goosen (Rsa) 66 71 68 67
273 Darren Clarke (NIrl) 70 71 65 67, Peter Lonard (Aus) 69 66 72 66
274 Paul Casey (Eng) 70 71 68 65, D.J. Trahan 69 67 70 68
275 Hunter Mahan 71 66 70 68, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 70 66 70 69
276 Sean O'Hair 68 67 73 68, Chris DiMarco 68 70 68 70
277 Daniel Chopra (Swe) 67 74 66 70, Chad Campbell 68 71 68 70
278 Zach Johnson 67 68 72 71, KJ Choi (Kor) 73 67 70 68, Ian Poulter (Eng) 70 68 69 71, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 73 70 68 67
279 Robert Karlsson (Swe) 71 67 71 70, Justin Leonard 68 70 70 71, Robert Allenby (Aus) 71 70 70 68, Steve Lowery 75 67 70 67, Tim Clark (Rsa) 67 71 71 70, Scott Verplank 71 70 70 68, Padraig Harrington (Irl) 69 75 68 67
280 Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 69 67 70 74, Vaughn Taylor 72 67 69 72, Oliver Wilson (Eng) 71 69 72 68, Nick O'Hern (Aus) 70 68 71 71, Charles Howell III 68 70 70 72, Justin Rose (Eng) 71 70 68 71, Jim Furyk 68 69 71 72, Ernie Els (Rsa) 69 74 69 68, Paul McGinley (Irl) 70 67 72 71
281 J.B. Holmes 69 68 72 72, Anthony Kim 71 72 70 68, Trevor Immelman (Rsa) 75 64 68 74, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 69 72 68 72, Richard Finch (Eng) 69 75 70 67, Brendan Jones (Aus) 69 73 69 70, Angel Cabrera (Arg) 72 73 68 68
282 Steve Stricker 68 69 75 70, Aaron Baddeley (Aus) 79 69 66 68, Richard Green (Aus) 72 73 70 67, Stewart Cink 68 68 74 72, Brandt Snedeker 68 76 69 69
283 Hidemasa Hoshino (Jpn) 75 73 65 70, Steve Flesch 70 70 73 70, David Toms 72 72 70 69, Stephen Ames (Can) 69 71 71 72
284 Niclas Fasth (Swe) 71 71 72 70, Woody Austin 71 70 72 71, Rocco Mediate 68 73 71 72, Chez Reavie 68 74 70 72
285 Rodney Pampling (Aus) 69 71 75 70, Fredrik Jacobson (Swe) 71 71 70 73, Ross Fisher (Eng) 69 73 70 73, Graeme McDowell (NIrl) 70 71 73 71, Adam Scott (Aus) 69 76 72 68
286 Steve Webster (Eng) 68 72 72 74, Nick Dougherty (Eng) 72 76 69 69
287 Lucas Glover 70 75 72 70, Andres Romero (Arg) 73 71 73 70, Scott Strange (Aus) 68 74 73 72
288 Kenny Perry 74 69 73 72, Boo Weekley 72 73 71 72
289 Prayad Marksaeng (Tha) 70 73 73 73, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 71 67 79 72, Martin Kaymer (Ger) 72 79 68 70
290 Brett Rumford (Aus) 75 70 76 69, Johnson Wagner 70 74 75 71
292 J J Henry 69 73 73 77, David Howell (Eng) 70 75 70 77, Soren Hansen (Den) 75 73 70 74
294 Pablo Larrazabal (Spa) 72 75 71 76
295 Colin Montgomerie (Sco) 72 71 76 76
296 James Kingston (Rsa) 73 72 71 80
297 Craig Parry (Aus) 70 75 75 77
301 Mark Brown 80 75 76 70
and Appleby at Firestone
FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Vijay Singh survived a battle of nerves to win the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
Singh shot a two-under-par, final-round 68 at the Firestone Country Club, Akron, Ohio to win by a shot from overnight co-leader Lee Westwood and a hard-finishing Stuart Appleby while Phil Mickelson, who had also started the day with a share of the lead, slipped back to a tie for fourth place with Retief Goosen after finishing with back-to-back bogeys.
It was a hard-fought victory, the Fijian's first since taking the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March 2007, and 32nd in all on the US PGA Tour, making him the most successful international player of all time in America after passing Englishman Harry Cooper.
Nerves were frayed for all three co-leaders, England's Westwood playing alongside Singh in the final pairing of the day at Firestone Country Club, with Mickelson of the United States playing one group in front alongside Australia's Appleby.
Westwood had also begun the day with a chance of breaking a 10-year winless streak in the United States, his only US PGA Tour title among his 27 career victories worldwide having come at the 1998 Freeport-McDermott Classic in New Orleans.
Singh began the last with a one-shot lead and he had a birdie putt to win from 26 feet but left it short by around four feet. That gave Westwood a chance to force a play-off from 16ft but he pulled his putt wide and Singh needed to hole out from just three-and-a-half feet for victory.
For once the nerves held.
Darren Clarke finished joint sixth on 273.
Paul Casey posted the low round of the day, a five-under-par 65 that earned him a tie for eighth place at six under for the tournament, thanks to a bogey-free final round.
A double bogey 7 at the par-5 16th took the momentum away from Ian Poulter as he closed with a round of 71 to finish the tournament two under par but Open champion Padraig Harrington completed his preparations for next week's final major of the year with a closing 67 to finish at 279, one under par for the tournament.
England's Nick Dougherty continuing his improvement, firing a second successive one-under 69 to following opening rounds of 72 and 76 to finish six over par for the week.
Colin Montgomerie was unable to join in on the low scoring over the last two rounds. He had a six-over-par 76 in the third round and repeated the dose in the final round.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 280 (4 x 70)
270 Vijay Singh (Fij) 67 66 69 68
271 Lee Westwood (Eng) 70 65 67 69, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 70 66 67 68
272 Phil Mickelson 68 66 68 70, Retief Goosen (Rsa) 66 71 68 67
273 Darren Clarke (NIrl) 70 71 65 67, Peter Lonard (Aus) 69 66 72 66
274 Paul Casey (Eng) 70 71 68 65, D.J. Trahan 69 67 70 68
275 Hunter Mahan 71 66 70 68, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 70 66 70 69
276 Sean O'Hair 68 67 73 68, Chris DiMarco 68 70 68 70
277 Daniel Chopra (Swe) 67 74 66 70, Chad Campbell 68 71 68 70
278 Zach Johnson 67 68 72 71, KJ Choi (Kor) 73 67 70 68, Ian Poulter (Eng) 70 68 69 71, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 73 70 68 67
279 Robert Karlsson (Swe) 71 67 71 70, Justin Leonard 68 70 70 71, Robert Allenby (Aus) 71 70 70 68, Steve Lowery 75 67 70 67, Tim Clark (Rsa) 67 71 71 70, Scott Verplank 71 70 70 68, Padraig Harrington (Irl) 69 75 68 67
280 Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 69 67 70 74, Vaughn Taylor 72 67 69 72, Oliver Wilson (Eng) 71 69 72 68, Nick O'Hern (Aus) 70 68 71 71, Charles Howell III 68 70 70 72, Justin Rose (Eng) 71 70 68 71, Jim Furyk 68 69 71 72, Ernie Els (Rsa) 69 74 69 68, Paul McGinley (Irl) 70 67 72 71
281 J.B. Holmes 69 68 72 72, Anthony Kim 71 72 70 68, Trevor Immelman (Rsa) 75 64 68 74, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 69 72 68 72, Richard Finch (Eng) 69 75 70 67, Brendan Jones (Aus) 69 73 69 70, Angel Cabrera (Arg) 72 73 68 68
282 Steve Stricker 68 69 75 70, Aaron Baddeley (Aus) 79 69 66 68, Richard Green (Aus) 72 73 70 67, Stewart Cink 68 68 74 72, Brandt Snedeker 68 76 69 69
283 Hidemasa Hoshino (Jpn) 75 73 65 70, Steve Flesch 70 70 73 70, David Toms 72 72 70 69, Stephen Ames (Can) 69 71 71 72
284 Niclas Fasth (Swe) 71 71 72 70, Woody Austin 71 70 72 71, Rocco Mediate 68 73 71 72, Chez Reavie 68 74 70 72
285 Rodney Pampling (Aus) 69 71 75 70, Fredrik Jacobson (Swe) 71 71 70 73, Ross Fisher (Eng) 69 73 70 73, Graeme McDowell (NIrl) 70 71 73 71, Adam Scott (Aus) 69 76 72 68
286 Steve Webster (Eng) 68 72 72 74, Nick Dougherty (Eng) 72 76 69 69
287 Lucas Glover 70 75 72 70, Andres Romero (Arg) 73 71 73 70, Scott Strange (Aus) 68 74 73 72
288 Kenny Perry 74 69 73 72, Boo Weekley 72 73 71 72
289 Prayad Marksaeng (Tha) 70 73 73 73, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 71 67 79 72, Martin Kaymer (Ger) 72 79 68 70
290 Brett Rumford (Aus) 75 70 76 69, Johnson Wagner 70 74 75 71
292 J J Henry 69 73 73 77, David Howell (Eng) 70 75 70 77, Soren Hansen (Den) 75 73 70 74
294 Pablo Larrazabal (Spa) 72 75 71 76
295 Colin Montgomerie (Sco) 72 71 76 76
296 James Kingston (Rsa) 73 72 71 80
297 Craig Parry (Aus) 70 75 75 77
301 Mark Brown 80 75 76 70
Labels: US PGA TOUR, US PRO TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, August 03, 2008
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