Singh wins Buick Open for second title of season
GRAND BLANC, Mich. - Ernie Els said the Buick Open was his
to win or lose. He lost.
The current U.S. Open champion backed up to the pack Sunday,
clearing the way for Vijay Singh to earn his second victory of
the year.
While Els could produce just one birdie all day, Singh played
almost perfect golf, closing with a 6-under-par 66 for a 15-under
273 total. That was two strokes better than six others, including
Els who shot a 74.
Curtis Strange, Joe Ozaki, Russ Cochran, Brad Fabel and Tom
Byrum all tied with Els. Ozaki closed with a 69, Cochran and Byrum
67s, Strange and Fabel 71s.
Els, who was 13-under after the second round, never improved.
After shooting even par in the third round, Els started the final
round with a three-stroke lead.
Singh, 34, who had only three PGA Tour wins - none since 1995
- before winning the Memorial Tournament in May, started the final
round five shots behind Els.
Playing bogey-free golf, Singh birdied Nos. 5 and 7 to make
the turn in 34. With steady, conservative play, he birdied three
of the first five holes on the back side to reach 14-under. Singh,
a native of Fiji who has 17 international victories since 1984,
was two shots ahead of the struggling Els at that point.
On those rare occasions when he did stumble, Singh was able
to right himself. After pulling his second shot on the par-5 16th
into heavy rough near a tree, Singh managed to pitch into the
first cut of greenside rough, about 15 feet from the flag, and
save par.
Playing in a light sprinkle, Singh made routine par on No.
17, then thrust his fist in the air after rolling in a birdie
putt of about 25 feet on the home hole. All Singh had to do then
was wait and see if Els could find his game.
He couldn't.
Els, playing with Strange, two groups behind Singh, didn't
make a birdie until the back nine. His bogeys at Nos. 8 and 11
dropped Els to 11-under. Els got one back with a birdie at 13,
but still struggled.
He left a 6-foot birdie putt on the lip at 14. His long uphill
birdie putt at 15 hit the hole, but bounced off the back lip and
stopped two feet past the cup.
With Singh already finished, Els bogeyed the par-3 17th. That
dropped him to 11-under and hopelessly out of the hunt.
Singh, who became the tour's seventh multiple winner this season,
earned $270,000 of the $1.5 million purse.
Masters champion Tiger Woods finally made the kind of move
thousands of fans came to see. But it was too late. Woods, who
turned at 6-under, birdied four of the first seven holes on the
home side for a 68 and 278.
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