Singh seals title in Boston

Fiji’s Vijay Singh used a hot putter to storm to an emphatic five-stroke victory at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Singh broke clear of a logjam with three birdies in four holes starting at number 11 on his way to a closing eight-under-par 63 in a testing breeze at the Boston TPC.

He finished at 22-under 262, clinching his third victory in his past five starts, with Canadian Mike Weir (71) second on 17 under.

South African Ernie Els (70) was another three shots back in a tie for third with Colombian Camilo Villegas (73) on a disappointing day for Sergio Garcia.

The Spaniard was right in the hunt after three successive birdies from the second hole but it all went wrong after a bogey at the ninth hole as he limped to a 72 and a tie for fifth on 13 under.

“That was awesome. All I can say is say well done to Vijay,” said Garcia, who played with the winner.

Singh, 45, was already the most winning non-American player on the United States PGA Tour.

He now has 34 career victories, the same number as Phil Mickelson. Among active players, only Tiger Woods has more.

Singh, who won last week’s Barclays Championship, the first of four events in the tour’s play-off series, also took an almost insurmountable lead in the race for the 10 million US dollars (around £5million) bonus awarded to the play-off winner.

With only two events left, it will take a miracle for anyone to pass him.

Singh, who started the day three strokes behind Weir, had a dream start with an eagle at the par-five second, where he chipped in from 30 feet.

He added two more birdies before the turn, before wielding his mid-length belly putter to perfection on the back nine.

He knocked in a 37-foot bomb at the par-four 13th, before following it up with a 60-foot monster at the next to take an all-but insurmountable lead.

A bogey at the 15th proved academic, as he drained a 35-footer at the penultimate hole and added another birdie at the easy par-five 18th for good measure.

Meanwhile, Garcia’s putter went cold at the wrong time. After finishing equal second in his past two starts, including that heartbreaking loss to Padraig Harrington at the US PGA Championship, he started the day with high hopes.

Three successive birdies from number two surely made Garcia think it was going to be third time lucky, but it wasn’t to be.

Garcia’s problems started when he lipped-out par putts at the ninth and 10th holes, and another bogey at number 13 was the final nail in the coffin.

He then took too little club at the par-three 16th, his wedge clattering against the rock wall guarding the green and ricocheting back in the drink, leading to a double bogey.

But as it turned out, it would have taken something special even to challenge Singh.