Singh wins Phoenix Open for second time

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Vijay Singh thought a good final round would win the Phoenix Open. As it turned out, it took a great one.

Singh birdied five of the first six holes and shot an 8-under-par 63 Sunday to win the event for the second time.

He finished at 23-under 261, three strokes ahead of John Huston.

Singh won this event in 1995, but that was in a playoff.

This time, he tied the tournament record for lowest final-round score, had the best finish by a PGA Tour winner since Jonathan Byrd's 63 at the 2002 Buick Challenge and strolled up to the 18th green knowing he had won.

"It was a dream start for me," Singh said. "You know, I birdied 1 and 2 and then birdied 4, 5, 6. You do something like that when you're just one or two back to start, and you're definitely going to have good momentum."

The Fiji native had eight one-putt greens on the front side while shooting a 29, which would have tied the nine-hole record except for Chris DiMarco's 7-under 28 in the third round.

"When you're making putts and hitting it close, you can have a good score," Singh said. "That's what I did on the front side. I think that's what won the golf tournament."

This was the 12th tour victory for Singh, the 2000 Masters champion. He also has 21 international wins.

It also was the tour's fifth straight win 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 had two wins in Hawaii this year.

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

Huston bogeyed 17 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.

"I drove the ball very well today and made a lot of birdies," said Mickelson, the 1996 champion and the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 3.

Singapore Masters

SINGAPORE -- Ernie Els lost the lead with a bogey on the last hole, and China's Zhang Lian-Wei made a 3-foot birdie putt at No. 18 to win the Singapore Masters

Els, coming off consecutive PGA Tour victories in Hawaii and a win at last year's season-ending Nedbank Challenge in South Africa, had a round of 1-over 73 and finished at 9-under 279.

Zhang, a self-taught golfer, shot a 2-under 70 for a 10-under 278 total and the biggest win of his career.

LPGA Skins

WAILEA, Hawaii -- Karrie Webb beat Annika Sorenstam and won the LPGA Skins Game, taking 12 skins worth a record $470,000.

Webb captured the final 10 skins in recording her first victory in three Skins Game appearances.

Sorenstam finished second with three skins for $70,000. Laura Diaz made $60,000 for her three skins and Laura Davies, the defending champion, was shut out.

-- From wire reports