FARMINGTON, Pennsylvania, 28 September 2004 — Vijay Singh, who knocked Tiger Woods off the top of the world rankings this month for the first time in over five years, eclipsed Woods’ earnings record for a single season when he won the 84 Lumber Classic here Sunday.
The Fijian shot a three-under par 69 to hold off Stewart Cink by one shot and capture his eighth PGA Tour event of 2004 taking his prize money for the year to $9,455,566, breaking the record Woods set in 2000 of 9.1 million.
Singh has won five of his last six tournaments and he is the first to win three straight since Woods did it. “Winning doesn’t get old,” said Singh. “I love it. I never get tired of it. I feel really into it right now. Going out there I feel good and I don’t want to hit a bad shot.
“My driver and irons were working great, and I made the putts I needed to.”
The 41-year-old Fijian, who led by four strokes with five holes to go, finished with a 15-under 273 to hold off US Ryder Cup star Cink who finished one shot behind after a charge of 65.
Woods opted to take this week off after his Ryder Cup exertions.
In 2000, Woods clinched three consecutive major championships (US and British Opens, USPGA), a career Grand Slam and nine PGA Tour victories.
Cink finished on 14 under with Americans Pat Perez, Zach Johnson, Jonathan Byrd and Chris DiMarco on 12 under.
South Korea’s K.J. Choi shot a fourth-round 65 and finished four shots back. Spain’s two-time Masters champion Jose-Maria Olazabal finished in a tie for ninth after a final-round 65 took him to 10 under.
Former Open champions John Daly and Ben Curtis ended on eight under and five under respectively
American Christina Kim Captures First LPGA Title
In Auburn, California, Christina Kim fended off challenges from veterans Karrie Webb and Julie Inkster and red-hot Han Hee-won to win her first LPGA title on Sunday, a one-stroke victory in the $1 million Longs Drugs Challenge.
Anna Acker-Macosko also made a scintillating run, sinking 11 birdies in a final-round 60, just one shot shy of matching Annika Sorenstam’s magical mark of 59 set three years ago. With Acker-Macosko and the others making charges, Kim picked up her game. After a very slow start, the 20-year-old California native made all seven of her birdies over the final 12 holes at The Ridge Golf Course, including the clincher at the 17th.
That birdie, followed by a par at 18, gave Kim a six-under-par 65 for a four-round total of 18-under 266, one shot better than Australian star Webb (64).
“It was kind of neat,” Kim said. “I always said the Zen Buddhist (stuff) — stay in the moment, blah, blah, blah. It was neat to see I could finally take my own advice.”
The closing hole was a bit unnerving for Kim, who rolled a birdie attempt two feet past the cup. She watched Webb miss a potential tying birdie, then made the comebacker for par.
“Even though she missed her putt, it was no gimme,” Kim said. “It was like two feet, but it was the longest two-foot putt I ever had to make.”
Webb, who has 30 career victories, said she was “a little disappointed I didn’t hit a better putt on the last hole to tie it up. But Christina played unbelievably well. And she has been knocking on the door for the last couple of weeks. She is a fun girl.”
Webb’s bogey-free round included an eagle at the par-four seventh, where a wedge shot from 105 yards rode backspin right into the cup. It was indicative of her solid iron play that set up short birdie putts all day.
“I can’t complain about shooting seven-under,” said Webb, who was denied her second win of the year. “The longest putt I made was five feet.” Playing with Kim, Webb admired the youngster’s enthusiasm. “It doesn’t bother me. It makes me laugh,” the veteran said. “I sometimes wish I had a little bit of that in me.”
Inkster, trying to make it an eighth straight season with at least one title, posted a closing 68 for 268, while South Korea’s Han, winner in Portland last week, closed with a 65 for 270.
The win was a breakthrough for Kim, a 20-year-old from California, who had four straight top-15 finishes before finally capturing her first title.
“I still can’t believe it,” said Kim, of San Jose, California, “I will probably be driving halfway between here and San Jose and I will all of a sudden start screaming or something. Right now, it’s cool.”
