Singh Wins Second Phoenix Open Title

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) _ Vijay Singh birdied five of the first six holes and shot an 8-under-par 63 Sunday to win the Phoenix Open for the second time. <br><br>Singh finished at 23-under 261, three strokes

Sunday, January 26th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) _ Vijay Singh birdied five of the first six holes and shot an 8-under-par 63 Sunday to win the Phoenix Open for the second time.

Singh finished at 23-under 261, three strokes ahead of John Huston. Singh also won this event in 1995.

This was the 12th victory on the PGA Tour for Singh, a native of Fiji who lives in Florida. The 2000 Masters champion also has 21 international victories.

It was the fifth straight win on the PGA Tour by an international player. Luke Donald and Singh started the string on the same weekend last season at the Southern Farm Bureau Classic and the Tour Championship. Ernie Els won the first two events in Hawaii this year.

Singh won $720,000, boosting him from eighth to second on the money list with $990,929.

Huston bogeyed the 17th hole and closed with a 67. Third-round leader Harrison Frazar struggled to a 69 and tied for third at 265 with Robert Gamez (66), Retief Goosen (67) and Tim Petrovic (68).

Alex Cejka and Joe Durant finished five shots off the lead, followed by Phil Mickelson and Mike Weir at 267. Mickelson and Cejka carded 64s, but were too far back at the start to make a charge.

Defending champion Chris DiMarco went 15 under for the tournament _ only two shots worse than his winning 267 in 2002 _ but was eight shots behind.

Singh had an excellent approach game. He made a birdie on No. 9 and reached 22 under on the 11th hole, where his seventh birdie of the day required a 12-foot, uphill putt.

But on the next hole, a difficult par 3 with water on three sides, Singh found the back bunker and two-putted from 15 feet.

He two-putted the next four holes for two pars and two birdies, giving himself eagle chances on the 13th and 15th with solid approach shots.

Singh was long off the tee all day. He had a 340-yard drive on the 13th hole and sent his tee shot on the 332-yard 17th to the right of the green, even with the pin.

Huston maintained the pressure but blew an early chance to close the gap when he bogeyed the 12th hole, keeping him three strokes off the lead.

The issue was settled on the next-to-last hole when Huston and Frazar tried to drive the green. Both overswung and hooked their tee shots, which bounced into a lake that guards the top of the green and curls around below it on the left side.

Each bogeyed the hole, leaving them too far behind after Singh reached the 18th green in regulation.