Chevron winner Vijay Singh makes
it an $18million year to remember
Vijay Singh raised his year's earnings to over $18million - an incredible figure for anyone, let along a 45-year-old Fijian - by winning the Chevron World Challenge by one shot at Sherwood Country Club, One Thousand Oaks in California yesterday.
The FedEx Cup winner (that was worth $10millon itself) and winner of a table-topping $6.6millon on the US PGA Tour in 2008 holed a 10ft birdie putt at the last for a five-under-par final round of 67 in his first stroke-play competition since the Tour Championship at the end of September.
A few shots back at the start of the day, Singh had drawn level in the lead with Jim Furyk at 10 under par after 13 holes, thanks to three straight birdies early on the back nine. Vijay completed his victory charge by holing a 10ft birdie putt on the home green to beat Steve Stricker by one stroke. Stricker closed with a 68 for 278.
"That was all very unexpected," said Singh after finishing at 11-under-under par 277 and winning Tiger Woods' charity event for the first time. "I was just hanging in there over the first two days. But I figured if I shot 67 or 68 in the last round, I would be right there with a chance."
Anthony Kim, the 54-hole leader, and Jim Furyk did their own charity work on a splendid afternoon of sunshine.
Kim was one shot out of the lead until making consecutive double bogeys, driving into the bushes on the 14th and hitting his 7-iron short and into the water on the par-3 15th. He birdied the next two holes, but by then it was over. Kim closed with a 73 and tied for third on 281 with Hunter Mahan, who shot 68.
Furyk, playing for the first time since the PGA Grand Slam of Golf in Bermuda on October 15, built a two-shot lead on the front nine until a pair of three-putt bogeys. He was tied with Singh after a 6ft birdie on the 13th, and still only one shot behind from the middle of the fairway on the par-5 16th when it all came undone.
Furyk twice went into the rough, bogeying the 16th, missing the par-3 17th green to drop another shot and with the tournament already decided, found the water on the 18th hole for the second straight day to make double bogey.
Anthony Kim, the 54-hole leader, and Jim Furyk did their own charity work on a splendid afternoon of sunshine.
Kim was one shot out of the lead until making consecutive double bogeys, driving into the bushes on the 14th and hitting his 7-iron short and into the water on the par-3 15th. He birdied the next two holes, but by then it was over. Kim closed with a 73 and tied for third on 281 with Hunter Mahan, who shot 68.
Furyk, playing for the first time since the PGA Grand Slam of Golf in Bermuda on October 15, built a two-shot lead on the front nine until a pair of three-putt bogeys. He was tied with Singh after a 6ft birdie on the 13th, and still only one shot behind from the middle of the fairway on the par-5 16th when it all came undone.
Furyk twice went into the rough, bogeying the 16th, missing the par-3 17th green to drop another shot and with the tournament already decided, found the water on the 18th hole for the second straight day to make double bogey.
Furyk wound up dropping five shots over the final five holes for a 74 and tied for fifth with Camilo Villegas (73) on 282.
Ben Curtis was the only other player in the 16-man field to finish under par on 287.
Ben Curtis was the only other player in the 16-man field to finish under par on 287.
English Ryder Cup player Luke Donald had the honour of returning the lowest round of the tournament, a six-under 66 on Sunday which was at least seven shots better than any of his previous rounds. Luke, who missed a fair chunk of the season with a hand injury, finished on level par 288.
Singh's fortunes began turning on the par-4 sixth hole, where he had made bogey each of the first three rounds. But in the final round he got a birdie there and when Furyk three-putted from long range in the group behind, the Fijian was back in the game big time.
"That got me all fired up," Singh said. "I played solidly. And the putter started working when it got inside 8 to 10 feet."
That was the range for his three straight birdies that put him in the lead, the biggest birdie of all on the 18th hole.
Singh jokingly told Woods at the trophy presentation, "Don't come back too soon. Take another year off."
Even with Woods at full strength, Singh has been up for the challenge. The big Fijian has won 23 times since turning 40, and his 34 career victories on the US PGA Tour are the most by a foreign-born player.
The Chevron World Challenge doesn't count as a Tour win or for the money table, but it felt like a victory considering the elite gathering. And it came at a good time for Singh, who starts the 2009 season in three weeks at Kapalua.
FINAL TOTALS
Singh's fortunes began turning on the par-4 sixth hole, where he had made bogey each of the first three rounds. But in the final round he got a birdie there and when Furyk three-putted from long range in the group behind, the Fijian was back in the game big time.
"That got me all fired up," Singh said. "I played solidly. And the putter started working when it got inside 8 to 10 feet."
That was the range for his three straight birdies that put him in the lead, the biggest birdie of all on the 18th hole.
Singh jokingly told Woods at the trophy presentation, "Don't come back too soon. Take another year off."
Even with Woods at full strength, Singh has been up for the challenge. The big Fijian has won 23 times since turning 40, and his 34 career victories on the US PGA Tour are the most by a foreign-born player.
The Chevron World Challenge doesn't count as a Tour win or for the money table, but it felt like a victory considering the elite gathering. And it came at a good time for Singh, who starts the 2009 season in three weeks at Kapalua.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4 x 72)
277 Vijay Singh (Fiji) 71 72 67 67.
278 Steve Stricker (US) 71 71 68 68.
281 Anthony Kim (US) 71 70 67 73, Hunter Mahan (US) 71 72 70 68.
282 Jim Furyk (US) 68 71 70 74, Camilo Villegas (Colombie) 74 67 69 73.
287 Ben Curtis (US) 72 73 72 70.
288 Luke Donald (Eng) 73 75 74 66.
290 K J Choi (South Korea) 70 71 73 76, Boo Weekley (US) 70 73 72 75.
291 Paul Casey (Eng) 74 72 6976.
292 Fred Couples (US) 73 69 72 78.
293 Stephen Ames (Canada) 78 71 73 71.
295 Justin Leonard (US) 76 75 73 72, Kenny Perry (US) 73 72 75 75, Mike Weir (Canada) 78 71 70 76.
Labels: US PGA TOUR, US PRO TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Monday, December 22, 2008
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