Bogey no barrier as Singh proves he’s top gun in duel with Daly

VIJAY SINGH provided an opening but John Daly could not take advantage.

Despite bogeying the final hole, Singh held on for a one-shot victory over Daly at the Buick Open, giving the native of Fiji his fourth title of the year.

Playing in the final group of the day, Singh and Daly duelled through the final round. Singh withstood a sizzling start by Daly, who played the first four holes in five under, and took the lead for good with a birdie on the 16th.

It was the fourth victory of the year and second Buick Open title for Singh, who signed for a five-under-par 67 and completed 72 holes at 23-under 265.

Daly, who ended a nine-year drought earlier this year at the Buick Invitational, posted a 66.

Tiger Woods, still without a win in a strokeplay event this year, tied for third with Paraguay’s Carlos Franco at 21-under.

Woods could not catch Singh despite shooting a 66 in each of the last two rounds.

Nursing a one-shot lead, Singh pulled his drive on the last way right under a tree, then appeared to be in more trouble when he left his second shot in the deep rough.

But despite facing another tough lie, he came through with a spectacular third shot, getting it to stop on the green just four feet from the pin. Singh missed the par putt, sliding it just past the hole.

Daly had an opportunity to force a play-off, but also stroked his four-foot par putt past the hole. It was his first bogey in 31 holes.

Peter Jacobsen may have undergone hip surgery recently, but Tom Kite was the one hobbling down the stretch at the US Senior Open.

After Kite played the final four holes at four over par, Jacobsen parred his final three at Bellerive Country Club and captured his first major championship.

Because second-round play was postponed on Friday, every player who made the cut had to play 36 holes on the final day. It was the first time in Champions Tour history that the entire field had to play 36 holes in a day, and the conditions were stifling.

Jacobsen, who was playing just his third Champions Tour event, fired a two-under-par 69 in the third round and a three-under 68 in the late afternoon to finish at 12-under 272 for the tournament, beating Hale Irwin by one shot.

Kite fired a six-under-par 65 in the third round, with birdies at five of his last seven holes, to grab a two-stroke lead over Jacobsen heading into the final round. But he bogeyed the 15th and 16th to slip to 12-under, and then double-bogeyed the last to slip into a tie for third with local favourite Jay Haas.