GRAND BLANC, Michigan, 3 August 2004 — World No. 3 Vijay Singh fired a closing five-under-par 67 to rally past John Daly to win the $4.5 million Buick Open on Sunday.
The Fijian finished 23-under on 265, one stroke ahead of Daly (66). World No. 1 Tiger Woods (66) and Paraguay’s Carlos Franco (66) tied for third place on 267 while Stewart Cink was fifth on 270 at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club.
Singh, 41, who also lifted the Buick Open trophy in 1997, became only the third multiple winner of the event, joining Julius Boros (1963 and 1967) and Tony Lema (1964-65). The victory was also his fourth on the PGA Tour this season.
“Those guys are legendary,” Singh told reporters. “If that’s a club, I’m really happy to be in that club.”
But Singh had to work hard to gain entry. His two-stroke, third-round lead was erased after Daly birdied the first hole and then holed a nine-iron approach for an eagle at the par-four second.
American Daly, 38, also birdied the third to nudge one shot in front of Singh.
“(Singh) said he was going to kick my ass this morning on the range,” Daly said. “And then after I holed out on two, he says, ‘Oh, I take it back’. We had a lot of laughs, it was a great match today.”
The tall Fijian refused to panic after Daly’s early blitz.
“I knew there were a lot of holes out there that you could catch up to make a move,” Singh said. “I was just playing my game and I was patient.
“I was trying to hit good shots and rolling the putter really nicely, that was good. I wasn’t too worried out there.”
Singh moved back alongside Daly with a birdie at the 12th and regained the outright lead with another birdie at the 14th.
Both players picked up strokes at the 16th before Singh carded a bogey on 18 while Daly missed a five-footer for par to tie.
“Trying to put pressure on Vijay is very difficult on its own, but I did it,” Daly said.
“I think ball-striking wise, I out-hit him today, but he got the trophy and I didn’t.”
Woods, still without a strokeplay title to his name this year, posted four rounds in the 60s and did not make a bogey over the final 39 holes.
He continues to be positive as he prepares for the US PGA Championship in two weeks’ time.
Donald Breaks His
European Duck
In Malmo, Sweden, England’s Luke Donald staked his claim for a place in next month’s Ryder Cup with a stunning five-shot victory at the Scandinavian Masters yesterday to clinch his first European Tour title.
Donald, who took a three-shot lead into the final round, carded a second successive 69 yesterday for a four-round total of 272, 16 under par.
Home hopes Peter Hanson and Henrik Stenson both finished tied for second place on 11 under par with Colin Montgomerie of Scotland and England’s Ian Poulter sharing fourth place.
Montgomerie hit a final round 67 to finish at nine under while Poulter, who had been in 32nd place overnight, carded a 65 yesterday.
However, the best round of the day was claimed by Ireland’s Peter Lawrie.
He had been 15 shots off the pace on Saturday but blazed his way back up the field with a final round 64, a new course record, to finish tied for eighth place on six under.
Donald had victory virtually wrapped up midway through the homeward nine with successive birdies on the 13th and 14th, to give himself a three shot cushion with four holes to play.
Hanson bogeyed the 15th to give Donald a four shot advantage, and the Englishman came home in style by sinking a another birdie putt on the 18th.
The 25-year-old Donald will have given Europe’s Ryder Cup skipper Bernhard Langer plenty to think about as will the performances of Montgomerie and Poulter.
All are hitting a rich vein of form ahead of the Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills Country Club in Michigan from Sept. 17-19.
Stupples Wins British Women’s
Open by Five Shots
In Sunningdale, England, Karen Stupples won the British Women’s Open by five shots yesterday to become only the third Englishwoman to claim a major golf championship after a stunning final round of 64.
With a 19-under par total, she equaled the championship record set by Australian Karrie Webb over the same course in 1997 as she held off the challenge of joint overnight leader Rachel Teske of Australia who had a closing 70.
The 31-year-old Stupples opened the round in remarkable fashion with an eagle and an albatross before a run of three straight birdies from the 15th finally put her clear.
Stupples, whose first win in five years as a professional was in the LPGA Tour season opener in Tucson, Arizona, is the first Englishwoman to win the title since Penny Grice-Whittaker in 1991.
The tournament gained major status three years ago. The other English major winners are Laura Davies, with four, and Alison Nicholas, the 1996 US Women’s Open Champion.
Stupples opening surge came with a 15-foot eagle putt at the 485-yard first, while she holed a five iron from 205-yards for the albatross two at the 475-yard second.
American Heather Bowie was third on 13 under after a 71, with Mexico’s Lorena Ochoa fourth on 12 under after a 70.
