Vijay Singh - back to winning ways (Allsport).
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Vijay Singh cruised to his first PGA Tour title in two years with a
tournament-record score at the Houston Open.
It was the most decisive win on the tour this season. Singh led by at least
three strokes throughout the final round and eventually defeated Darren Clarke
of Northern Ireland by six for his first title since the 2000 Masters.
After 24 top-10 finishes and four second places since then, the win was long
overdue for the 39-year-old.
"It took two years to do it, and I'm glad I did it," said Singh, who won
with a 72-hole total of 22-under 266.
Ranked eighth in the world, Singh's winning margin was the biggest since Joel
Edwards' seven-shot win at the Air Canada Championship in September.
The Fijian native also posted the best four-round total on tour this season
while setting the tournament record for strokes under par.
Curtis Strange and Lee Trevino both hit an 18-under 266 in 1980 - when the TPC
at the Woodlands was a par-71 - but with the tournament in its final year at the
course, Singh's record-breaking was perfectly timed.
Clarke began the day three shots behind Singh but struggled to a 71, finishing
alone in second in a rare PGA Tour appearance.
Two-time Masters winner Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain played in the final trio
and was third at 273.
Singh will defend his title - his 10th PGA Tour victory - at the new venue of
the Redstone Golf Club next season.
Collated final scores (USA
unless stated, Par 72)
266 Vijay Singh (Fij) 67 65 66 68
272 Darren Clarke (Gbr) 69 65 67 71
273 Jose Maria Olazabal (Spa) 71 68 64 70
275 Jay Haas 67 70 69 69, Shigeki Maruyama (Jpn) 68 71 66 70
277 Adam Scott 72 67 67 71, Brandt Jobe 70 66 69 72, Justin Leonard 70 68 69
70, Tom Pernice Jr. 71 70 67 69
278 Jim Carter 65 73 68 72, J.P. Hayes 67 68 71 72
279 Fred Funk 71 70 67 71, John Huston 70 73 68 68
280 Briny Baird 70 71 67 72, Scott Verplank 67 70 72 71, Nick Price (Zim) 68
71 69 72
281 Greg Chalmers (Aus) 69 72 66 74, Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 69 71 66 75, David
Toms 69 72 67 73, Tom Byrum 70 70 70 71, Fred Couples 68 71 68 74, Frank Nobilo
70 70 70 71
282 Rodney Pampling (Aus) 70 71 68 73, Loren Roberts 70 71 70 71, Hal Sutton
72 67 74 69, Chris DiMarco 69 73 72 68, Stephen Ames (Tri) 71 71 68 72, Jerry
Kelly 71 68 70 73, Greg Norman (Aus) 70 68 68 76
283 Chris Riley 67 70 71 75
284 Heath Slocum 70 73 72 69, Luke Donald (Gbr) 71 68 71 74, Chad Campbell 69
74 67 74, Paul Stankowski 72 68 66 78
285 Brian Bateman 67 72 73 73, Shingo Katayama (Jpn) 68 72 73 72, Geoff Ogilvy
(Aus) 71 65 75 74, Kent Jones 71 72 71 71, Phil Tataurangi (Nzl) 72 69 73 71,
Robert Allenby (Aus) 68 72 69 76, Pat Bates 71 71 70 73, David Duval 75 67 68
75, Skip Kendall 72 69 72 72, Dennis Paulson 72 69 69 75
286 Bob Burns 68 74 71 73, Tommy Armour III 72 70 71 73, Woody Austin 71 70 71
74, Mike Heinen 70 73 71 72, Len Mattiace 72 69 74 71, David Peoples 71 72 69
74
287 K.J. Choi (Kor) 72 70 75 70, Kevin Sutherland 72 70 74 71, Bob Tway 71 71
73 72, Russ Cochran 71 71 70 75, Glen Day 70 71 74 72
288 Jeff Brehaut 70 72 68 78, Jay Williamson 72 70 73 73, Michael Allen 71 69
72 76, Colin Montgomerie (Gbr) 72 71 74 71, Craig Parry 74 69 69 76
289 Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 69 73 73 74, J.L. Lewis 68 73 73 75
290 Michael Clark II 70 72 74 74, Ian Leggatt 70 73 70 77, Esteban Toledo
(Mex) 66 73 75 76
291 Jerry Smith 70 70 71 80, Andrew Magee 69 74 71 77
292 Robert Thompson 70 73 72 77, Grant Waite 72 71 78 71
294 Peter Jordan 70 73 74 77
WD Bob May 72 70 73 WD
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