LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida, 28 October 2003 — Fiji’s Vijay Singh shot a final round five-under-par 67 to win the Funai Classic on Sunday.
The 40-year-old finished at 23-under-par 265, four strokes ahead of world number one Tiger Woods (65), Scott Verplank (71) and Stewart Cink (71).
The Fijian earned $720,000 with his fourth win of the 2003 season and moved to the top of the PGA Tour money list with $6,827,507.
His margin of victory was the biggest in the event since 1972 when Jack Nicklaus won by nine strokes.
Singh, who has two wins and six top-five finishes in his last 10 starts, is expected to move to number two when the world rankings was to released yesterday.
Davis Love III (69) and John Rollins (72) tied for fifth at 18-under 270.
Singh entered the final round tied with Verplank, Cink and Rollins but opened a three-stroke lead over Cink with an outward 33. On the back nine he offset two bogeys with four birdies.
Singh’s strong play began early when he and Cink both made birdies on the par-four second hole to move to 19-under-par and distance themselves by one shot from Verplank and Rollins.
The Fijian slowly took control with back-to-back birdies on the seventh and eighth to move one shot ahead of Cink at 21-under.
