Singh wins back-to-back titles

Vijay Singh claimed back-to-back titles with a two-shot victory over England’s Warren Bennett in the inaugural Caltex Singapore Masters over the Bukit Course at Singapore Island Country Club.

After victory in last week’s Carlsberg Malaysian Open, Singh completed the double on the Asian leg of the 2001 European Tour International Schedule and captured his tenth European Tour title with a final round of 68 and a 21 under par total of 263.

Colin Montgomerie, also bidding for successive victories following his win in Australia last week, and Maarten Lafeber were edged into third place when Bennett chipped in for an eagle on the last to move to 19 under par with a final round of 68. Singh, who defends his Masters title in five weeks, earns 154,616 euro (£97,662) while Bennett, back on The European Tour after recovering from illness and injury, earned the biggest cheque of his career of 103,077 euro (£65,108).

Singh led the event, co-sanctioned by The European Tour and the Asian PGA’s Davidoff Tour, by one at the start of the final round and immediately made his intentions clear with birdies on the first and fourth. Two dropped shpts on the seventh and eighth allowed the chasing pack to get back into the hunt but the Fijian pulled clear again with birdies on the ninth, 13th and 15th holes to set up a convincing victory.

“Every time I tee up, I am always thinking I am going to win,” he said. “Eve if I don’t win I guess it is my expectations to win a golf tournament. This time I guess it came true.

“Over the past two weeks the key has been consistency. I didn’t make too many mistakes. I haven’t played in Malaysia and Singapore since 1993 and it has been a good homecoming.”

Over the past 18 months Bennett has faced dark times, wondering if he would ever be back playing the game he fell in love with as a 12 year old as first pneumonia and then a recurrence of an old neck injury restricted him to just six starts last season. For six months he didn’t touch a club as he fought his way back to fitness, both mentally and physically, and now he is reaping the rewards.

Bennett didn’t intend playing in Asia but had to rearrange his schedule with the birth of his son Tom during Mercedes-Benz South African Open. Instead of playing South Africa and Australia Bennett found himself in Singapore this week.

Bennett, who won the 1998 Challenge Tour Rankings and Scottish PGA Championship the following season, opened with an eight under par 63 to share the first round lead. Subsequent rounds of 69 and 65 kept him in the frame for the last day and despite finding himself one over the card after 12 holes, he bounced back with birdies on the first two par fives coming home and then the sensational eagle on the last.

“It’s unbelievable,” he said. “I fancied the chip on the last but the lie wasn’t great. I would have taken an up and down. I thought Colin was going to hole so I was just thinking of taking joint third place. I was just surprised as the look on my face probably suggested.

“Everyone at home will be delighted. It’s been tough on them over the past 18 months, especially with a close knit family around you. Hopefully that is all behind me.”

Montgomerie, winner of the Ericsson Masters in Australia the previous week but making his first start on The European Tour this season, fought his way back into contention with four birdies in the last five holes of the third round to lie just three shots off the lead. But two bogeys in the opening two holes put him on the back foot from the outset and despite a brave fight back, finished in share of third place.

“I got off to a bad start,” he said. “I started bogey, bogey. I had only had once bogey the first three days and then started bogey, bogey. I got it back at the fifth and sixth but it was always a struggle. I didn’t play well today.

“Warren played super to eagle the last and beat me in the end. But never mind. First and third in the first two weeks out is good, very good.”

Alongside Montgomerie on 18 under par was Lafeber, joint seventh last week in Malaysia. A closing 65, six under par, gave the Dutchman his best finish on The European Tour.

“I played well,” he commented. “I made a good birdie on the 18th to finish. But I messed up the par fives a bit on the back nine on the 13th and 15th.

“I stayed calm and patient and just gave it my best shot. Third is better than fourth.”

Padraig Harrington, defeated by Singh in a play-off last weekend, finished in a share of fifth place with Denmark’s Anders Hansen on 17 under par. Harrington had moved up to a share of second playing the 16th but as he addressed his ball it toppled forward. Harrington immediately called the penalty on himself, and dropped back off the pace, closing with a five under par 66.

Hansen went one better with a six under par 65, racing to the turn in just 30 strokes after a run of four successive birdies from the sixth, but the putts refused to drop in the homeward stretch.

“I’m delighted but five under on the front side you have to be looking at a better score than 65. I didn’t think I could catch Vijay at the start but started to think perhaps I could after the ninth. I was hoping but he is a hard man to catch.”