Vijay Singh back to winning ways in Houston

BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2005 Shell Houston Open | Wrap | 25 Apr 2005

In what developed into one of the more intriguing contests this season on the USPGA Tour, Vijay Singh has successfully defended his Shell Houston Open title by beating John Daly at the first extra hole after Daly had found the water from the tee.

For Singh it was his second victory of 2005, but there have been five other top fives in the twelve starts he has had and he now moves ahead of Tiger Woods into second place on the money list and just US$6,000 behind Phil Mickelson.

Singh took a long time to begin moving forward today, in fact it was not until he holed an eight 8 footer for birdie at the 14th, that he moved to 12 under. At the very next hole his drive was perfect and with a fairway wood in hand, hit his second just off the back edge and two putted for another birdie to move ahead.

While all this was going on Daly, who had played well here in his two previous visits, renewed his love affair with Redstone Golf Club when he powered home over the closing nine holes in four under 33 to join Singh at 13 under and it was then up to Singh to negotiate the tough finishing stretch.

Daly had played beautifully over the closing holes, his only technical mistake coming with a bad drive at the 15th, but he recovered with a fine third shot from long range to four feet to set up a birdie that would take him to 11 under and threatening. He made a thinking mistake at the 16th when taking too much club from the fairway but was able to save par from behind the green. His birdie at the 17th was the result of a 9 iron to within 5 feet and then at the last, needing a birdie to force the issue with Singh he again hit a 9 iron from the fairway to ten feet and when he made that he had set the target for the Fijian.

Singh hit a poor approach shot to the 16th after indecision with club selection, coming up some 50 feet short but two putted for par. At the 17th he two putted for par from 22 feet following a short iron approach. Now he faced the par four last – one of the most difficult holes on the course – needing par to tie and birdie to win. His drive was right, which with water left was the only place the fairway could be missed, and he got a lucky break with an opening and clear line to the back left flag. His shot with just a very short iron was brilliant and left himself a six footer for birdie and victory. The putt however was never on line and so it was back to the 18th tee for the two friends to determine the winner.

Daly had chosen to rest up and enjoy the moment with his family while waiting the thirty minutes or so for Singh to finish rather than loosen up with a few balls. Whether that had an impact or not is subjective but when it was time for him to hit his three wood from the tee however, he pulled it left into the water and essentially his hopes were dashed there and then. In the end Singh found the green from the right rough again and when he two putted his 26th USPGA Tour title was his.

Singh now heads a few hundred miles east to New Orleans to yet again defend one of his many 2004 titles.

For Daly this is a result somewhat from the blue other than the fact that he appears to relish playing here. He has not played well in 2005 but the manner in which he played the stretch holes and the quality of his shotmaking under the gun, suggests he has found something. Certainly his putting was on song this week, indications that a slight change in set up has done the trick.

Jose Maria Olazabal was again outstanding with his third placed finish. Playing on invitations and carry over top tens this season, he has accumulated more than US$1 million and will now have the luxury of unlimited sponsors exemptions for the remainder of the season. His game has been peaking over the last few weeks with four top tens and one top twenty in his last six starts. His only failure came, when many expected his best result, at Augusta. He looks totally comfortable over the ball right now except that is, on the greens. He is hitting so many quality shots that a return to winning form must surely be close at hand. He had his chances over the back nine but although he made a couple of crucial putts he missed three or four which would have had him right in there. Once again on one of the longest courses on tour, one of the lesser hitters in terms of distance has done well, just as he had at Torrey Pines three years ago.

Darren Clarke somehow found a way to put behind him the nightmare Sunday seven days ago at Hilton Head to record the equal best last round of the day and move from 18th to 4th. It showed impressive character.

Englishman Greg Owen, in his rookie year, had his chances but his share of 4th continues a brilliant start to his PGA Tour career. The one time winner on the European Tour, was hardly a standout in seven seasons there but it may just be that he has found his niche in the US. If it wasn’t already, this performance has secured his playing status in 2006 in the US.

Joe Ogilvie was again very solid and his first win is not far away. Next week’s event might just provide that opportunity as he was runner up to Singh there last year.

So what of Gavin Coles? Well it would be easy to say that he wasn’t able to handle the last day pressure but his performance can only be marvelled at.

On a golf course on which he had no right to be contending, he managed to challenge throughout and even halfway through the final round he was still in a share of the lead with Owen. When he looks back at this round though, Coles would probably like to have his second to the 11th over again. After driving it in the trees right he had a narrow gap some thirty yards ahead that he had to thread it through and then shape it from left to right to find the putting surface. He got the first part right but then the shot did not slide enough and he caught the rough left of the green, leaving himself very much short sided. From there, perhaps again trying to do too much, he pitched it into the bunker and took double bogey to all but rule himself out. He may well have been better to lay up short of the green and take his chances with a pitch and putt from 80 yards or so. That is hindsight though and we all have great vision with that.

Despite this it was a brave performance and far and away Coles’ best result in the game given its significance. He hardly disgraced himself when playing with the world number one in the final group and will look back on this experience knowing that he can handle himself on golf courses not necessarily built around his game. His missed putt from 12 feet for birdie at the last proved costly as he shared 7th with five others instead of joining Ogilvie in 6th place.

Of the other Australians Rod Pampling again did well when finishing strongly for 18th. Stephen Leaney will be angry with his four dropped shots over the closing three holes. After a good start to the final round he was in a position to challenge for the title but fell away to finish 28th. John Senden was 34th, Scott Hend and Steve Elkington 49th, Geoff Ogilvy 62nd and Paul Gow 78th.

The USPGA Tour now heads to New Orleans for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.