WGC Amex loses world No 1 Singh

THIS week’s US$7 million American Express World Championship at Mount Juliet will be without world number one Vijay Singh.

WGC officials in Co Kilkenny were shocked with the announcement that Singh, winner of the last three tournaments on the US Tour and five of the last six, had pulled out because his home in Florida had been seriously damaged by Hurricane Jeanne.

“Singh was due to fly home to Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, on

Sunday night after his win in the 84 Lumber Classic but due to Hurricane Jeanne, was unable to return until Monday. When he did get home, the effects of Hurricane Jeanne had left his house with no power, water was coming in and Vijay felt now was a time to spend with his family,” a Tour statement read.

Singh had intended to fly from Philadelphia, the venue for the Lumber Classic, on a special American Express charter but decided against it when made aware of the situation at home.

This latest development, coming on the back of Phil Mickelson’s withdrawal last Friday citing “personal reasons” and fatigue after his exertions in the Ryder Cup, and those yesterday of John Daly (injured leg) and Mike Weir (illness) have deprived the $7m tournament of some of its brightest lights.

However, Tiger Woods, winner of the Amex for the past two years, including Mount Juliet in 2002, stands his ground and will see this as the ideal opportunity to close the gap on Singh in the world rankings. He is still smarting at being eclipsed by the Fijian, who also became the biggest money-winner in a single season on the US Tour with his victory in the weekend’s 84 Lumber Classic.

Singh has now accumulated $9,455,566 as against the $9,1888,321 of Woods in his golden year of 2000 when he captured three of the four major championships.

South Africans Ernie Els, third in the world, along with his compatriot Retief Goosen, remain in the field. The other top ten players in the world at Mount Juliet are Davis Love III, Padraig Harrington (the Irish challenge is completed by Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley and Graeme McDowell), Australian Adam Scott and Stewart Cink.

Although beaten by McGinley in the Ryder Cup singles, Cink has been in great form of late, having recorded a career-best 10 top ten finishes after running up to Singh at the Lumber Classic. Ryder Cupper Chris DiMarco recorded his third top 10 in Philadelphia, while Zach Johnson, in his first year on tour, eclipsed $2m for the season. He joins Open champion Todd Hamilton as the only rookies in US Tour history to top the $2m mark. Johnson and Hamilton are both in the Mount Juliet field.