Goosen - held on in Florida (Getty Images).
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Retief Goosen knows a thing or two about winning a money title. He also knows
how to prevent someone from doing it.
Unflappable in the face of a threat from the world's hottest player, Goosen
held off Vijay Singh to win the Chrysler Championship and keep Tiger Woods alive
in a bid for his fifth straight PGA Tour money title.
Goosen had a three-stroke lead over Singh trimmed to a shot after 11 holes at
the trying Innisbrook course before pulling away for his third PGA Tour victory
and first of the season.
The stoic South African finished with a one-under-par 70, giving him a 72-hole
total of 12-under 272, three shots better than Singh and four ahead of Briny
Baird - his playing partners.
"I know I wasn't hitting the ball as well as I would like to, but I have a
good feel for the course and that's what it all comes down to," said the
34-year-old.
Goosen collected his 18th title worldwide and fifth between the PGA and
European tours since the start of the 2001 season.
His world ranking will improve from number ten as he attempts to get closer to
his career-best ranking of number four.
"I feel like I am definitely up there in the top six players in the world,"
he said.
"That is sort of my goal, to see if I can get back into a better position
than I have been."
Goosen also would like to return to the top of the Order of Merit, the
European Tour's money list, which he won in 2001 and 2002. The 2001 US Open
champion slipped this year, thanks in part to the birth of his son.
"Let's see if I can do a little bit better there next year than I did this
year and give myself a chance to win a money title there again," said Goosen.
Singh could have locked up the first money title of his career with a win, but
he could not keep pace on the back nine, settling for a 70.
"I am a little disappointed I didn't win," said the two-time major winner
from Fiji, who has collected four titles this year.
"I thought I had a good chance. Retief played solid all day and he deserved
to win."
With only next week's season-ending Tour Championship remaining on the
schedule, Singh leads Woods by some 750,000 US dollars atop the money list.
Singh wins the money title by finishing alone in third, second or first next
week in Houston. Woods needs to win the event and have Singh place no better
than fourth to finish atop the money list for the sixth time in seven years.
"I have to play a solid tournament next week," Singh said.
"I don't think I have to win to win the money title, but I would like to win
again next week. I will figure it out when I get there."
Collated final scores (USA unless stated, Par 71):
272 Retief Goosen (Rsa) 69 66 67 70
275 Vijay Singh (Fij) 70 70 65 70
276 Briny Baird 72 66 66 72
278 Tim Petrovic 71 69 66 72, Chad Campbell 68 69 72 69
279 Thomas Levet (Fra) 71 67 71 70, Dan Forsman 67 75 69 68, Davis Love III 69
72 72 66
280 Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 71 71 68 70, Peter Lonard (Aus) 71 71 70 68, Stephen
Ames (Tri) 74 67 72 67, Brad Faxon 72 71 68 69
281 Jonathan Byrd 72 67 72 70, Mike Weir (Can) 71 73 70 67, Jeff Sluman 71 70
68 72, Justin Leonard 74 71 66 70
283 Pat Perez 70 70 70 73, Jose Coceres (Arg) 68 68 72 75, Loren Roberts 71 69
68 75, Duffy Waldorf 69 73 70 71, Tom Byrum 70 71 71 71, Robert Gamez 68 72 74
69, Kenny Perry 73 69 70 71
284 Charles Howell III 66 71 74 73, J.J. Henry 69 67 73 75, Mark Calcavecchia
72 70 71 71, Robert Damron 71 73 68 72, Jerry Kelly 68 69 73 74, Skip Kendall 72
71 72 69, Neal Lancaster 72 70 68 74, Jesper Parnevik (Swe) 74 69 70 71, Brett
Quigley 71 74 67 72, Kenichi Kuboya (Kor) 73 69 69 73
285 Brandt Jobe 71 71 69 74, Jeff Brehaut 72 69 69 75, Ernie Els (Rsa) 70 74
70 71, Bob Estes 72 69 74 70, John Huston 72 72 70 71, Jay Williamson 74 69 69
73
286 Aaron Baddeley 71 71 70 74, K.J. Choi (Kor) 71 74 71 70, Chris Riley 72 73
71 70, Steve Lowery 69 72 73 72
287 Aaron Barber 71 72 71 73, Woody Austin 75 65 76 71, Paul Azinger 73 71 73
70, Joe Durant 75 68 71 73, David Peoples 72 72 72 71
288 Glen Hnatiuk (Can) 74 68 72 74, John Rollins 70 73 73 72, Donnie Hammond
70 74 74 70, Lee Janzen 74 70 71 73
289 Brian Bateman 73 72 68 76, Craig Barlow 71 71 71 76, Olin Browne 74 71 69
75, Pat Bates 74 69 73 73, Jeff Maggert 70 75 71 73
290 Luke Donald (Gbr) 76 69 72 73, David Gossett 72 72 74 72, Steve Flesch 72
72 72 74, Stewart Cink 72 72 73 73
291 Brenden Pappas (Rsa) 73 72 73 73, Len Mattiace 70 73 75 73
292 Bernhard Langer (Ger) 71 74 73 74
293 Mark Wilson 73 72 76 72, Hank Kuehne 71 69 71 82, Billy Andrade 75 70 76
72
296 Mike Grob 72 72 75 77
299 Jason Gore 70 75 78 76, Rory Sabbatini 74 71 79 75
300 Carl Paulson 70 74 74 82
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