Singh Wins Buick Open

Vijay Singh followed three spectacular rounds with an average one and it was enough to hold off a surging Tiger Woods and win the Buick Open Sunday at Grand Blanc, Mich.

Singh closed with a two-under-par 70 for a four-stroke victory and a 24-under 264 total.

Woods, who began the day eight shots back, tied for second after moving into contention with six birdies and an eagle in a nine-hole stretch.

After making a 17-foot putt for birdie at No. 17 to pull to within two shots, his drive at the last hole sailed wide right while Singh, playing two groups behind, made his second birdie to take a three-shot lead. Woods bogeyed the hole and fell another shot back.

“Tiger was never really ever within five shots of me all day,� said Singh, who shrugged when informed that Woods was in fact closer to his lead.

“I thought if I played a great back nine, I might be in position just in case Vijay messed up, but he’s playing too well to do that,� Woods said after tying for second with Zach Johnson (69) at 20 under.

Woods, the top-ranked player in the world, and Singh, ranked second, have alternated positions atop the rankings for nearly a year.

Singh is the first three-time champion at the Buick Open, a tournament that started in 1958. He’s also the first repeat champion since Tony Lema in 1965.

Singh has won four events this year and 28 in his career. He trails only Woods’ 44 victories and leads Phil Mickelson by two among active PGA Tour players.

Singh’s five-shot lead was his largest entering a final round. The four times he led by three after 54 holes, he won each event, including the 2000 Masters.

Singh matched the Buick Open’s 54-hole record of 22-under 194. Had he shot 67 or better for the sixth straight time at Warwick Hills, he would’ve eclipsed Robert Wrenn’s tournament mark of 26 under, set in 1987.

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Allen Doyle broke the U.S. Senior Open final-round record, closing with an eight-under 63 at Kettering, Ohio, to win his third major championship.

Doyle had a bogey-free round that included eight birdies, and he managed to avoid the trouble that knocked third-round co-leaders Craig Stadler and Loren Roberts, as well as D.A. Weibring and others out of contention.

His final-round 63, which beat the course record by a stroke, was the lowest by a Senior Open winner.

Doyle beat the previous final-round score by four shots and finished at 10-under 274, and one shot ahead of Roberts and Weibring. The victory was his 10th on the Champions Tour.

Stadler led by three shots with 10 holes to play, but finished four shots behind Doyle. Roberts was in control until making a double-bogey at No. 11. Weibring led by a shot with two holes left, but bogeyed both.