PALM HARBOR, Florida, 2 November 2004 — Fiji’s Vijay Singh became the first player in PGA Tour history to earn more than $10 million in a single season by winning the Chrysler Championship on Sunday.

Singh polished off his ninth victory of the season in style, making a birdie at the 18th hole to shoot a six-under-par 65 for the round and an 18-under 266 for the tournament. The world No. 1 finished five shots ahead of runners-up Sweden’s Jesper Parnevik and Tommy Armour III.

Joe Durant, with an eight-under 63, took solo fourth on 272, while Kirk Triplett placed fifth another shot back. Australia’s Robert Allenby and David Toms were joint sixth on 274.

The Chrysler payoff of $900,000 boosted Singh’s earnings to $10,725,166 and broke Tiger Woods’ mark of $9,188,321 in 2000.

“I’m really excited, an unbelievable day today,” Singh said. “I really wanted to win this one.

Singh also became the first player since Woods in 2000 to win nine titles in one season. Singh gets a shot at his 10th win next week in the season-ending Tour Championship. The last player to win at least 10 titles in a season was Sam Snead who had 11 victories in 1950.

Singh will have little time to celebrate his achievement.

With none of the contenders making a move on Sunday, Singh separated himself from the field early. He reached three-under on his round through five holes, then put together back-to-back birdies at the ninth and 10th. Another birdie at the 13th all but sealed the title. Armour, who carded a 69, managed to hang around in second place but drifted to three shots and sometimes four behind Singh.

He trailed by three playing the 72nd hole, but bogeyed the last to drop back into a tie with Parnevik.

Singh Stretches Ahead of Els in Rankings

Vijay Singh, the first player in PGA Tour history to earn more than $10 million in a single season following his Chrysler Championship victory on Sunday, has strengthened his grip at the top of the world rankings.

The 41-year-old Fijian moved almost two points clear of second-placed Ernie Els, a closing six-under-par 65 at the Copperhead Course in Palm Harbor, Florida having earned him his ninth title of the year.

Singh, who deposed Tiger Woods as the game’s leading player by winning the Deutsche Bank Championship in September, has a points average of 14.14 - 1.93 ahead of South African Els. Woods, who monopolised the world rankings for a record 264 consecutive weeks before being dislodged by Singh, is a further 0.9 points back in third.

US Masters champion Phil Mickelson and Retief Goosen, winner of the US Open at Shinnecock Hills, stayed fourth and fifth respectively. In the only change to the world’s top 10, Spaniard Sergio Garcia replaced Stewart Cink at nine, with the American slipping to 10. Garcia was edged out by Britain’s Ian Poulter in a playoff for the European Tour’s season-ending Volvo Masters at Valderrama, Spain on Sunday.