Singh fires 29 on back, wins HP Classic by one

NEW ORLEANS -- At the ninth hole, Vijay Singh thought he was out of the HP Classic. At the 18th, he knew the tournament was his for the taking.

Singh made a 25-foot birdie at No. 18 Monday to win the rain-delayed tournament, denying Masters champion Phil Mickelson his second straight victory and Joe Ogilvie his first title.

"I had patience out there," Singh said. "Like the front nine, when nothing was happening. I was just 2 under and everybody was way ahead. So I said, 'Just keep going, there is another nine to go. Just play a solid nine and see what happens.' "And the putts started going in, and throwing in an eagle here and there, and all of a sudden everything changed."

Singh overcame a six-shot deficit in the last eight holes, using an eagle at No. 15 to shoot 29 on the back nine for a round of 63.

Ogilvie almost forced a playoff after Singh's putt, but his blast out of the sand trap missed by an inch.

"I shot 32 on the front side, and I felt like I was in control pretty much the whole way around," Ogilvie said. "Then I saw him make an eagle on 15, then a birdie on 16. I don't know how long the putt on 18 was, but what can you say. I mean, that's why he's probably the best player in the world right now. He shot 29 on the back side."

Singh finished at 266 and became the first three-time winner on tour this season, taking $918,000 of the $5.1 million purse. He also won last Monday at the rain-interrupted Houston Open. The victory moved Singh to No. 1 on the money list with $4,267,899.

Mickelson, playing in his first tournament since winning the Masters, and Ogilvie were a stroke back at 267.