IRVING, Texas, 20 May 2003 — Vijay Singh ended a difficult week by hitting a four-under-par 66 on Sunday to win his second PGA title of the season at the Byron Nelson Championship.
Brushing aside the controversy over his comments that Annika Sorenstam should not be playing at the Colonial PGA event next week, the Fijian hit a 15-under 265 total for the $1,008,000 winner’s check and his 13th career title on the tour.
Nick Price of Zimbabwe was second after a final-round 65, a shot ahead of Australia’s Robert Allenby in third on 268 with Scott Verplank fourth a further stroke adrift.
Jim Furyk finished with a 66 to take fifth place on 270.
World number seven Singh, who announced afterward that he had withdrawn from next week’s Colonial, said the Sorenstam row had not put him off his game.Singh birdied the first hole, gave back the shot with a bogey at the second, but recorded two more birdies to complete the front nine in two-under.
Playing two groups ahead of Singh, three-time major winner Price was gaining ground rapidly with a four-under 31 on the front nine.
When he birdied the 11th hole just minutes before Singh bogeyed the 10th after hitting into the trees on the left, Price held a one-shot lead.
Singh responded with a birdie at the 12th, but the 46-year-old Price birdied the difficult par-four 14th to retake the lead.
Price, however, hit a three-putt bogey on the 15th to fall back into a tie. Singh then made birdie on the 15th to take the lead for good as Price could manage only pars over the final three holes.
Singh gave himself a two-shot margin with a birdie on the par-five 16th hole and parred his way home for the victory.
“I knew there were a lot of birdie opportunities out there if I just played my thing,” Singh said.
