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Vijay Singh claims second straight win in US PGA playoffs

Vijay Singh of Fiji holds the championship trophy after winning the Deutsche Bank Championship in Norton, Massachusetts, on Monday. PHOTO: AFP

Vijay Singh made three long birdie putts and closed with an 8-under 63 at the Deutsche Bank Championship for his second straight victory in the US PGA Tour playoffs on Monday.

Singh, who won The Barclays last week in a three-man playoff, finished at 22-under 262 to break the tournament record by two shots in the six years of this event.

The Fijian was one shot behind Mike Weir going to the back nine of the TPC Boston when he started holing just about everything from everywhere. He made consecutive putts of 35 feet and 60 feet to build a three-shot lead, then rolled in another putt from 35 feet on the 17th.

He’s turned the FedEx Cup into a one-man race. Singh has such a large lead that he could clinch the US$10 million prize without even playing the season-ending US Tour Championship.

Attribute this to the power of positive thinking.

Singh, who has long struggled with the putter, convinced himself last week that he was the best putter in golf when he won The Barclays.

He made a few more believers on US Labor Day at the TPC Boston.

“It’s nice to see them going in,” Singh said. “When they start going in, they believe it.”

Weir, who had a one-shot lead until a double bogey on the ninth hole, simply couldn’t keep up. He closed with a 71 to finish five shots behind, dropping his record to 1-9 on the US tour when he has at least a share of the 54-hole lead.

Singh’s third victory in the past five weeks, after going through his longest drought in six years, should be enough to move him up to No. 3 in the world ranking.

“He played amazing. It was awesome,” said Sergio Garcia, who was paired with Singh and closed with a 72. “I don’t think you guys are going to realize how good that was, because you’re aren’t playing and you don’t know how tough the course was playing. When Vijay plays like that, it’s hard to beat him.”

“It’s like when Tiger plays well,” he added. “You want to beat him, but it’s good to watch. You’re watching history.”

The victory meant that after more than two months with Tiger Woods sidelined by season-ending knee surgery, someone finally toppled him on the US PGA Tour money list. Singh, who collected his 34th career victory, moved to No. 1 on the list with US$1.26 million in earnings.

Ernie Els flew too many greens and made too many bogeys to make a charge, closing with a 70 to tie for third with Camilo Villegas, who shot a 73.
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