Singh - victory at last (Allsport)

Fijian Vijay Singh lived up to his name - ``Victory'' in Hindi - to win his maiden major title today.

The 35-year-old became the 10th player in the last 11 years to make the United States PGA championship his first major with a two-shot triumph at the Sahalee Country Club near Seattle.

Singh, taught the game by his aeroplane technician father and one of the game's hardest workers, scored a closing 68 to collect the £337,500 first prize with a nine under par total of 271.

He and Stricker were involved in a classic head-to-head and Singh, the current World Match Play champion, held off his man for the last 13 holes.

There were moments of good fortune - most notably when he kicked off a tree onto the green at the long 11th - but over a closing stretch containing excitement, tension and nerves he answered everything that Stricker could throw at him.

Both birdied the 417-yard 15th, Singh holing from seven feet to stay one ahead after Stricker had hit his approach to under two feet.

He then followed Stricker into a bunker on the dangerous short 17th, but holed from 15 feet and saw his playing partner miss from 12.

With a two-stroke cushion playing the 475-yard last - the hardest on a course whose name means ``High Heavenly Ground'' - Singh drove perfectly and never looked like losing his grip.

It was effectively all over once Stricker went into another bunker and Singh safely found the green. Stricker got up and down, but needed Singh to four-putt for a play-off and two were all he took to complete the greatest week of his career.

It was a first major for him, but a third for his Scottish caddie Dave Renwick, who worked for Jose Maria Olazabal at the 1994 Masters and Steve Elkington at the 1995 US PGA.

Australian Elkington made a great attempt to catch Singh and Stricker, but had to settle for third place on six under after bogeying the last for a 67.

Masters and Open champion Mark O'Meara made an equally gallant bid to win a third major title this year - something only ever achieved by Ben Hogan in 1953 - before finishing joint fourth with Frank Lickliter and Nick Price, the 1992 and 1994 winner who produced a course record-equalling 65.

Davis Love, trying to become the first man to retain the trophy since Densmore Shute in 1937, finished joint seventh.

O'Meara had been only two behind when he sank a 50-foot eagle putt on the second and a 10-footer on the fifth. But three straight bogeys after that left him too much ground to make up.

Colin Montgomerie, joint leader after two holes of the third round, finished a desperately disappointing 44th, following up his third round 77 with a 74 to be eight over, 17 adrift.

Nick Faldo was a stroke further back and 54th after a 73 - and played the last 50 holes without a single birdie. He had only two in the entire tournament to complete another miserable year in the majors.

Montgomerie was in only slightly more talkative mood than he had been after his 77.

``I've nothing to say really,'' he said. And when asked to explain that third round he added: ``Yesterday was yesterday.''

Then he was asked if it give him plenty to think about. ``I have a lot of thoughts,'' he said. Asked what they might be, he responded: ``They are for me.

``It's very disappointing. I thought the course was excellent and the crowds superb, but it doesn't matter what the course is like when you don't play well.''

Asked further about his putting, which had been so good in helping him in contention, he answered sarcastically: ``Great - holed everything. Weren't you watching?''

Faldo described his day as ``brain-bashing'', explaining: ``I just couldn't read the greens. That's the bottom line.

``It will be nice to get somewhere a little easier. I played really good tee-to-green and if I hit it like that for the rest of the year, that will do me. If I can improve my short game I think I can turn things round.

``The goal now is Ryder Cup points (qualifying starts in Switzerland in three weeks and he will be there). This has been a long, hard year, but I've got to be patient.

``I think I have done all the work now. This is the time. I haven't got on a roll of making good scores and my results in the majors I know are lousy, but at least I'm coming to the course optimistic.

``I'm starting to feel confident that I have a chance of a good day. I still think this was a positive week.''

Ian Woosnam was 29th on four over after a final day 72 and Scotland's Andrew Coltart, from the same promise of an opening 70, followed two 75s with a closing 74 for 14 over and 69th place.

No European-born player has won the title since Tommy Armour in 1931. Maybe that will end in Chicago next year - after all, no Fijian had ever won the title before.

But two British caddies are current major winners. Dave Musgrove was on Lee Janzen's bag for the US Open in June.

Singh, who thanked Renwick for keeping him calm, said: ``It's a dream come true, but I don't think it will change my life. I'm playing in Colorado next week.''

Stricker commented: ``I put up a good fight, I think.''