The relentless Singh wins Wachovia
IN: News | US PGA | Wachovia Championship (2005) | Wrap | by Bruce Young | 09 May 2005
Vijay Singh today highlighted once again just how relentless he can be in the pursuit of victory when he overcame a six shot 54 hole deficit to chase and catch Sergio Garcia and then beat both Garcia and Jim Furyk in a playoff for the Wachovia Championship.
Singh's capacity to stand up to the week in week out rigours of not only tournament golf, but contention, make him the iron horse of the PGA Tour. Not only has he now won three tournaments and has been second on three occasions this season, he has also had realistic chances to win as many as ten of the events at various stages late in each tournament. What is hard to fathom is that at the start of the year he led Tiger Woods in the world ranking, yet despite having won three times as has Woods, and being place twice second and once third compared to Woods one other top ten in his 10 starts this season, Singh still trails Woods in the ranking. It reflects the power of winning a major.
Today, there seemed little prospect of anyone catching the tearaway third round leader, Garcia, after the Spaniard had been so brilliant throughout the first three rounds. Even after a first hole bogey, the gap appeared too great to close for the chasers even after Singh had opened with a bogey. When Garcia finally righted the ship with birdies at the 7th and 8th holes he was one under for the day and, at 13 under for the tournament, still appeared to hold a substantial cushion (three shots) over Furyk and four over Singh who was playing ahead of him. That was until Garcia found trouble at the par four 9th. His tee shot there was left and he was forced to just chip out sideways. From there he was still left with 260 yards to the hole and bogey was looking like a very good score. It was looking even better when he was still 50 yards short in four and the resultant double bogey saw him fall back to 11 under and now Singh and Furyk were serious chances.
Singh, almost at the same time that Garcia was putting out for bogey at the 9th, was starting a run of four consecutive birdies from the 10th which would see him reach 13 under and at that point he himself had opened up a two shot lead.
Garcia battled back and when he birdied the 14th he was at 12 under and right at that point he had joined Singh in the lead thanks to a surprising bogey by Singh at the par five 15th after Singh had just missed the green left with his second. Garcia drove it perfectly at the 15th himself and with what must have been one of the best shots of the week, hit a two iron from an awkward downhill lie 250 yards to set up a six foot eagle chance. He was unable to make that putt but the resultant birdie left him ahead again at 13 under.
Sneaking along just in their wake was Furyk who wouldn't go away. He missed a great opportunity for birdie at the 15th and seemed at that point to have missed a great chance to challenge those ahead. He is a patient man though and his turn would come. Garcia saved a great par at the 16th after his approach from the fairway bunker was long. He pitched back to 14 feet and then made a crucial sliding left to right putt to stay at 13 under. His joy was short lived as he hit his tee shot left at the dangerous 17th and it found the water. Making a great up and down for bogey he still had a share of the lead with Singh as he teed it up at the last, with his playing partner Furyk one behind. Furyk had made a beautiful birdie from 6 feet at the 16th and then missed another opportunity at the 17th when his putt shaved the left edge of the hole from 15 feet but he was closing.
At the 72nd hole Singh had hit a good drive and second shot to 25 feet but hit a poor putt wide of the mark to finish at 12 under and so the task was clear for both Garcia and Furyk. Furyk was first to play from the tee and hit a good drive which just found the first cut of the right rough. Garcia hit a superb tee shot along the left edge of the fairway some twenty yards past Furyk. Furyk with a five iron in hand and knowing that he had to make birdie to join Singh in a possible playoff, hit a magnificent approach to 7 feet and waited as Garcia found the green with his 8 iron but 20 feet from the hole. Garcia, perhaps restricted by the collar of fringe against his ball, was unable to give his putt the run he needed to and he settled for par. Now it was a case of whether Furyk could join Garcia and Singh or not. Furyk's curling right to left putt caught the left half of the hole and fell in and so the trio headed for the 18th to start the playoff.
All three found the fairway. Furyk was first to hit and his three iron second was good but a little long. Garcia seemed unsure about the club decision and when he swapped the five iron for the six iron from 195 it seemed to be not a lot of club. He found the green but was at least 35 feet short. Singh's five iron from shorter range was flag high but well right of the flag. Garcia ran his first putt past and when he missed the return his chance to avoid the scrutiny and demons that blowing a six shot lead would present was gone. Both Singh and Furyk made pars and they headed to the 16th hole.
Singh drove it right into the rough beyond the bunker but Furyk was perfect with his approach covering the flag but was a little long. Singh was 25 feet right and when they had both two putted for par it was back to the 18th tee. Singh found the fairway and when Furyk pulled his tee shot left into the water, it was to all intents and purposes over. There was still a mathematical chance that Furyk could pull something out of the hat with the help of a Singh mistake and Singh obliged briefly when he found the bunker with his second. The window soon closed for Furyk though when Singh's bunker shot came to rest a foot from the hole and when he tapped that in it was definitely over.
For Singh it is yet another great victory in an era where he is producing many of them. For Furyk it is further proof that he is back to where he was two years ago. At his best he is one of the most consistent players in the game and with this being his second runner up placing in succession, look for more soon and perhaps a win.
Garcia will live to fight another day but he must be shocked by losing what seemed an unassailable lead. He heads to Dallas to defend his 2004 title and it will be interesting to see how he handles this disappointment.
Chris DiMarco was once again in the mix in fourth place, albeit four back of the playoff and it was nice to see Carlos Franco finally putting something together when fifth.
Phil Mickelson got to an amazing 9 under for the day through 15, before a double bogey, bogey finish saw him finish 7th. Tiger Woods did well enough to finish 11th.
Of the Australasians Stephen Leaney was the best in 11th place, his best finish of the year, Mark Hensby and Adam Scott 16th, Geoff Ogilvy 22nd, Rod Pampling 28th, Steve Allan 44th, Scott Hend 64th, Aaron Baddeley 68th and Craig Perks 79th.
The PGA Tour now heads to Dallas for the EDS Byron Nelson Championship.
